As this season has unfolded, the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield has become more evident.
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There are very few players in world football who can match his quality, especially in terms of distribution and creativity from deep and especially from right back. His ability to dictate play and break down defenses is unrivaled – there is no one like him.
Although Conor Bradley has often been seen as the natural heir apparent, ongoing injury problems have raised concerns over his reliability as a long-term first choice.
There is no doubt that he still has a role to play within the team, but Liverpool need more certainty in such a vital position.
Meanwhile, Jeremie Frimpong has yet to prove himself as a reliable defensive presence, and his strengths are clearly better suited to more advanced attacking roles.
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That lack of confidence in Frimpong and doubts over Bradley’s fitness have forced Liverpool to act and they will be tempted to strengthen the right-back position this summer to ‘properly’ replace Alexander-Arnold once and for all.
So who could Liverpool target?
Anfield Clock He can exclusively reveal that one of the club’s top targets for the role is Daniel Banjaqui and Liverpool are exploring a possible transfer for the 18-year-old right-back, who is seen as an ideal profile for the football the Reds want to play.
Banjaqui has only made two appearances for Benfica’s first team under José Mourinho, but he has caught the eye in those games.
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In his first start, he won the most tackles (4) and duels (12) in the game, but perhaps the most important aspect of his performance was his assist, a clever cross that found Anisio Cabral to help Benfica win 4-0.
Banjaqui also caught the eye at the Under-17 World Cup, where he played a key role in Portugal’s triumph in the tournament, playing in all eight of his country’s matches en route to lifting the trophy and becoming world champions.
Liverpool had many scouts present at that tournament in Qatar, and the Reds have already signed two players of the tournament: Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye.
In terms of his playing style, Banjaqui is fast and loves to bomb forward, but he is also a very good defender. In many ways, similarities can be found between his playing style and that of his compatriot Nuno Mendes, who came through the ranks of Sporting CP and plays for Paris Saint Germain.
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Mendes was a player that Liverpool really liked at Sporting but never ended up signing because at that time they had Andy Robertson.
The reason Liverpool are ready to sign Banjaqui now, who recently signed a new deal with Benfica until 2031, is because securing him this summer will ensure he can become a homegrown player when he turns 21 under the current Premier League team registration rules.
The same will apply to Giovanni Leoni and the aforementioned Ndukwe and Ndiaye.
It would be a brilliant move by Liverpool, who believe Banjaqui would be ready to play a first-team role straight away.