Arne Slot’s Brutal Solution to Liverpool Right Back Crisis Sets Up First Summer Exit

Liverpool could be without four different players who have helped out at right back this season.

Arne Slot is under pressure. | Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed he still has no interest in handing minutes to young defender Calvin Ramsay, despite heading into Wednesday’s game against Sunderland without his top four choices to play at right back.

After Conor Bradley went down with a season-ending knee injury in January, Slot insisted he had “better options” than 22-year-old Ramsay available to him. Since then, however, he has lost preferred starter Jeremie Frimpong to injury and emergency cover Dominik Szoboszlai to suspension. Joe Gomez, the versatile support piece, is also battling an injury.

Ramsay, a £6.5 million ($8.9 million) signing in 2022, is clearly not even fifth in the pecking order.

“In general, if you don’t win a game, the players who are not playing become the best players of the squad, and that is, I think, the same everywhere in the world,” Slot said when asked whether Ramsay, a natural right back, should be used to address the issue at right back.

“If the players who are starting are not winning, then the manager could have always better chosen another one, and I think this is an example of that.

“I just want to protect all my players. I have chosen other players until now, and that’s also what I’m going to do tomorrow.”

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Calvin Ramsay’s Bleak Future Becomes Increasingly Clear

Calvin Ramsay has failed to win over Arne Slot. | Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Hopes were high for Ramsay when he arrived at Anfield four years ago. A debut for the Liverpool senior side in November 2022 suggested the young Scot was being lined up as the eventual heir to Trent Alexander-Arnold, before surgery on a mystery injury sidelined him for the remainder of his first season.

On his quest to rediscover his high potential, Ramsay was sent out on a series of loans, but those temporary moves fell wildly short of expectations. Indeed, since he went down with that injury in early 2023, Ramsay has played just 27 competitive matches for five different clubs, with fitness issues not believed to be to blame. One of those outings even came under Slot, who was clearly not happy with what he saw in October’s 3–0 Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace.

The right back turns 23 this year and needs minutes more than anything. With Slot, he has clearly landed with a manager who has absolutely no faith in his current abilities, meaning those opportunities are not going to arrive and he is destined to be stuck playing with the reserves.

Whether Slot is justified in his lack of confidence in Ramsay is hard to say. The Dutchman is one of very few people to see him on a day-to-day basis and will make the decisions he thinks are best for Liverpool, not for Ramsay.

Regardless of Slot’s justification for his dismissive stance on Ramsay, the Scottish youngster needs to leave. Expect all parties to be open to a summer transfer as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.

The main dilemma for Ramsay will be finding a suitor prepared to buy him with a year left on his contract, given his lack of impact on senior football in the past three years. Sacrifices will have to be made, but there is almost no other choice for Ramsay, whose career has hit a brutal stall and is in need of immediate care.

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Who Will Start at Right Back for Liverpool Against Sunderland?

Slot has a big decision to make. | Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images

Slot has promised to get creative with his defence in the likely case that Gomez does not pass a late fitness test, brushing off Ramsay in favour of an unconvential alternative.

“Joe has not trained with us yet,” Slot confirmed on Tuesday morning. “I’m expecting him to train with us today for the first time. If Joe is not ready to start, then we are missing four player that have played in that position.”

Given the Reds’ brutal lack of defenders—left back Andy Robertson is likely to be the only senior option on the bench—Slot will turn to his midfield.

“Curtis [Jones] and Wata [Endo] also played in that position this year, so we’ve had six different right full backs this year,” he added.

Jones has one start to his name at right back this season—in the November mauling by PSV Eindhoven, with Endo’s only experience coming off the bench to replace Frimpong last month. But both players are clearly seen as stronger options than Ramsay.

Federico Chiesa, a boyhood wing back who was used sparingly in that role during his time with Juventus, would appear to be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency alternative.

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