What Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool exit means for Chelsea as Reece James gets dream scenario

Reece James has the chance to establish himself as the greatest right-back in Premier League history once and for all, with Trent Alexander-Arnold set to leave Liverpool.

The 26-year-old defender has announced he will leave Anfield when his deal expires in the summer. Since the start of the year, with Alexander-Arnold over a free transfer.

Rather than cash in on the England international during the January transfer window, . Liverpool stood their ground, banking on Alexander-Arnold to pen an extension.

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Unfortunately for the Merseyside outfit, the right-back shunned his boyhood club. During a time when the sale of homegrown players is so significant, with , Alexander-Arnold has left Liverpool empty-handed.

The Reds won't be entitled to a compensation fee, missing out on millions that could have helped them comply with the Premier League's spending regulations. Unlike Alexander-Arnold, when Real Madrid came calling as times got tough, .

If the Liverpool defender decides to join Los Blancos, in the right-back department. James hasn't played as many games as his fellow countryman over the years due to various injury problems.

But, with his best days ahead of him, . Alexander-Arnold won't be the first – or the last – player to leave the English top-flight in search of a new challenge.

He also won't be the first – or the last – player to win the Champions League with Real Madrid. As Alexander-Arnold even said himself, it means more. It'll mean more when James outshines the Liverpool defender's legacy with his boyhood club.

Ultimately, Alexander-Arnold has shied away from a battle for top dog status in the Premier League. James has been enjoying another rich vein of form, reinventing himself as an inverted full-back and holding midfielder.

Speaking to reporters following Chelsea's 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur last month, Maresca explained the method behind the madness. The Blues manager said: "In terms of data, you can see that when a full-back plays in the way they used to play.

"Up and down, they (do that) much, much, much more (often) than to go inside, covering a (bigger) distance, for the amount of times they go up and down. So, for sure, that way that we are using James, in some games, can help him.

"Last year at Leicester we had Ricardo Pereira, that he potentially could be a top player for a top team, but because of his injuries... last year with us he played all the games, we changed a little bit and that works quite well.

"With James, it's working quite well. But I said already many times, Reece with us is playing right full-back, left full-back, midfielder - different positions.

"He's not the only one. We have more players that play in different positions. So we are happy and hopefully the way we are using Reece is helping him to be fit."

Maresca added: "We try every day to have the medical staff speak with him to see how he is. If he is able to train, if he is good, if he is not good. To be honest, in the last weeks, he has been training every day.

"This is the reason why we are happy with that, and we don't want him to force and to have another problem. When he's fit, he is an international player - without doubt."

James has featured 22 times for Chelsea this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist. Playing a key role in Enzo Maresca's setup, the 25-year-old has helped the Blues climb to fifth in the Premier League and reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League.

James has struggled to stay fit in the past, but, this year, Maresca has given the Cobham graduate a new lease of life – which clearly struck fear into Alexander-Arnold...