Liverpool have signed an even better Gini Wijnaldum - but I fear Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave

Liverpool's best midfield under Jurgen Klopp? You wouldn't find many Reds supporters who said anything other than the Fabinho-Jordan Henderson-Gini Wijnaldum triumvirate.

The trio were the heartbeat and the steady hands on the tiller of the great Klopp side that became champions of England, Europe and the world. But the departure of Wijnaldum in the summer of 2021 heralded their breakup. Fabinho and captain Henderson left two summers later, for the riches of Saudi Arabia, but there was a feeling that their time to move on had come.

But while Wijnaldum has not hit the same heights since saying an emotional goodbye to Anfield - he, too, is now playing in the Saudi Pro League - for some time there was a feeling among fans that he had left too early and that his multi-functional abilities had not been truly replaced.

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However, that's no longer the case, according to Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson, who believes his former club now have an even better player in the shape of fellow Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch.

Gravenberch moved to Merseyside last summer and, after an up-and-down first campaign at the club, is now blossoming in the No.6 role under Klopp's replacement Arne Slot.

“I don’t just think Ryan Gravenberch is Liverpool’s Gini Wijnaldum replacement - I think he’s better than him,” said Lawrenson to Sports Casting.

“Don’t get me wrong, Wijnaldum was a really good player for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, but I think Gravenberch has got a little burst of pace and more attacking qualities that Gini didn’t have.

“I don’t know whether it’s a coincidence or not, but Arne Slot knows all about him for obvious reasons, and he seems to have pushed the correct buttons to get him going this season.

“He looks a really classy player at the moment and complements Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai really well.

“All three midfielders have started the campaign very promisingly, which is great to see. I don’t think there’s a better midfield trio in the league at the moment.”

It has been almost a perfect start for Slot, who has guided the Reds to second in the Premier League with four wins out of five and to victories in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

But there remains concern among the fan base over the futures of captain Virgil van Dijk, leading marksman Mohamed Salah and hometown hero Trent Alexander-Arnold. All three are now into the final years of their contracts.

With rumours suggesting Alexander-Arnold is wanted by Real Madrid, he spoke to the ECHO about his contract situation following the 3-0 home win over Bournemouth on Saturday. The England international said: "Look, I have been at the club 20 years now, I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public. And this one won’t be either.

"I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say."

Lawrenson, who won 10 major honours with the Reds in the 1980s, fears Alexander-Arnold is Madrid-bound.

He said: “I think Trent Alexander-Arnold is most definitely up there with the best Premier League right-backs of all time when he’s in full flow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better right back in terms of delivering the ball to players.

“He probably isn’t among the best defenders in the world, but it doesn’t really matter because he just sees passes that other players can’t - that ball into Mohamed Salah in the first game of the season against Ipswich was unbelievable

“However, I don’t think Trent will be at the club at the start of next season - I can see him being attracted to playing at Real Madrid. He has an England team-mate in Jude Bellingham there and I can see him playing for them next season. If you really wanted to stay at Liverpool, then would you not have signed your contract by now?

“I think that goes for all three of Liverpool’s players who are out of contract next summer - Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, too.

“They’re just waiting to see what will happen, but for me, Trent probably wants to go and play somewhere on the continent. I don’t think he’ll turn down the opportunity to play for Real Madrid.”