Didi Hamann has called on Trent Alexander-Arnold to seize the opportunity of joining Real Madrid this summer in a wide-ranging interview with PokerScout.com.
The German midfielder also looked ahead to the future of how the Reds could line up under Arne Slot as Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk continue to be linked with their moves away from Anfield.
Hamann also considered the future of Jadon Sancho amid reports that Chelsea will not seek to sign him permanently, and commented on whether Hugo Etikite could give Ruben Amorim’s side the cutting edge it needs up front.
With the Champions League in full swing, the former Liverpool and Newcastle United star also set out how he can see the tournament unfolding, including an exciting final showdown at the end of the season.
Read the full interview below.
Mohamed Salah to Bayern Munich would be very exciting – I love to see it
Mohamed Salah to Bayern Munich would be very exciting.
Bayern have Kingsley Coman, who hasn’t been the best recently, Leroy Sane looks set to leave the club, the most impressive has been Michael Olise who signed last summer, so I think they need two or three wide players for next season.
Just like bringing Harry Kane to the club, it would be hugely exciting to see Salah at Bayern but also for the Bundesliga to have a player like Salah. Even if it was just for one or two years, I would absolutely love to see it.
Virgil van Dijk at Bayern Munich? They should see what’s possible
Virgil van Dijk to Bayern? There are not many teams that he wouldn’t improve. The longer the contract wait goes on the more offers he will have, there will be five or six clubs knocking on his door already.
Bayern Munich have had a few issues defensively, but they’re pretty solid at the moment. Having said that, if he’s available, it’ll be about if he sees himself in Munich or Milan or wherever.
All big clubs including Bayern will have to see what’s possible because there are not many teams who wouldn’t improve with him in the side.
Trent Alexander-Arnold might only get one chance to join Real Madrid in his career
If Trent Alexander-Arnold is going to leave Liverpool, I don’t know why he and the club haven’t come out to explain the situation. I’d be very surprised if he hadn’t made his mind up by now.
I think that because he could get another injury which rules him out for the season and that will impact contract talks with both Liverpool and Real Madrid.
I don’t think there is any reason to keep his plans a secret, he looks the most likely to go and you might only get a chance to join Real Madrid once in your career so I don’t think you can blame him.
Trent Alexander-Arnold incredible range is perfect for Real Madrid
Real Madrid like to have the ball and I think Trent Alexander-Arnold fits into any team, lots has been made of his defensive deficiencies but his passing range is incredible and that would suit their forwards perfectly.
He gives you so much going forward so you just have to put up with his defending and Real Madrid are probably the perfect team for that.
Liverpool target Xavi Simons reminds me of Philippe Coutinho
I think Xavi Simons is ready to join a club like Liverpool. He pretty much carries that RB Leipzig team and has done so well, you’d just have to think about his position.
He plays in an advanced role at the moment, so would need Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister behind or beside him.
I think he is already and I’d say he is a similar player to Philippe Coutinho, which makes you think about how he left the club, but Simons is ready to play for a big club.
There’s a chance Leipzig won’t get in the Champions League which would have an impact too, he is a brilliant player with great feet, an eye for goal and brings his team-mates into play.
Liverpool don’t have a creator like him, it’s probably something they lack, they are very physical and have pace but the most similar player to Simons is probably Curtis Jones. He would certainly improve them.
Liverpool can rely on Andy Robertson – he’s still among the best
Andy Roberson has been the best left back now for the last six or seven years in the Premier League, he’s 31 now but you don’t sit so far clear at the top of the table with a bad left-back.
I still think he’s doing a very good job. He was a bit unfortunate at the start of the season where he was at fault for one or two goals and got sent off, but I think he’s come back very well.
He’s a player you can always rely on, he has said himself that Liverpool have been linked to every left-back in Europe over the last 18 months which shows his sense of humour and his awareness of what it means to play for Liverpool.
I wouldn’t have a problem if Liverpool went into next season with Robertson starting. I still think he’s one of the best left backs out there and we shouldn’t forget how high he’s pushed the bar over the last six or seven seasons because I think he’s been the best left back and he’s still up there.
Liverpool need to keep an eye on MIlos Kerkez
Liverpool have been linked to MIlos Kerkez and they should see what is out there. Andy Roberstson could show him the ropes which would be the ideal situation, but sometimes it doesn’t work like that.
He would cost money and would want to play, it’s also different playing for a team like Bournemouth than it is for Liverpool. Having said that, he is certainly a very talented player and one for Liverpool to keep an eye on.
Serhou Guirassy ‘tailor-made’ for Arsenal – he would make a difference straight away
Serhou Guirassy is scoring goals in a very inconsistent Borussia Dortmund team, he has 10 already in the Champions League.
I thought he was tailor-made for Arsenal last summer as a physical player with pace, but he is 29 now.
I’m not saying time is running out for him, but for a centre forward, I think once you pass 30, you’re probably not going to get any better.
I think he would have been tailor-made for Arsenal for around £25million, maybe he was seen as too cheap for what Arsenal needed but I think he could have made a big difference for them like he makes a difference for Dortmund now.
He isn’t a young player but he would go in and make a difference straight away. He won’t take much time to adapt and he is very good on the ball and linking up with team-mates, he is a team player.
I’m not sure if Arsenal will take that chance, but with Dortmund looking set to miss out on the Champions League, he could be an option.
Jorrel Hato has the world at his feet – he’s on the radar of a lot of clubs
Jorrel Hato is a physical player who is comfortable on the ball and he can play at both left back and centre back. We know how scarce left footed centre backs are.
He’s certainly a player who’s got a world at his feet. He might get a big move if he wants it but Ajax look like they’re going to win the league in Holland so he’ll probably play in the Champions League next year.
I think he wants to stay for one more season, but he’s a player on the radar of a lot of clubs right now.
Jobe Bellingham should snub Premier League interest for perfect club
For Jobe Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund is the club with a record of helping players improve to the level they want to reach.
You just have to look at Erling Haaland as well as his brother Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele and even Alexander Isak for a time.
You have Jamie Gittens now, they have brought so many players through and I think Jude’s move to Dortmund was very shrewd from the Championship at such a young age
It would be similar for Jobe and I’d recommend that he didn’t go and join any of the big boys because you could end up sitting on the bench for a season, Jude went to Dortmund and played and became one of the best midfielders in the world.
I don’t know where Jobe will go, but I’d be surprised if it’s to a big team in the Premier League.
Manchester United linked Hugo Etikite is the best striker in Germany
Hugo Etikite has been linked to Manchester United and he is brilliant.
Obviously Manchester City took his partner in crime in Omar Marmoush, they linked up so well together.
But Etikite has everything, he’s good on the ball, he’s quick, he’s tall, he is one of the best, if not the best striker in the Bundesliga at the moment.
He is very young and has improved his all round game, he is leading the Frankfurt attack and showing he is a brilliant player.
Jadon Sancho could be back at Borussia Dortmund in a heartbeat
Borussia Dortmund might just be looking at Jadon Sancho because although it started well at Chelsea, it looks like it hasn’t worked out.
It looks like Chelsea might pay millions to send him back to Manchester United, so it looks like he might be an option for Dortmund this summer.
They tried to keep him last summer but it wasn’t possible, I think he wants to go back. Dortmund wouldn’t be struggling like they are if he had stayed, he has been absolutely brilliant for them.
He took Dortmund to the Champions League final last season and I think they would have him in a heartbeat.
Harry Kane could go another season without trophy – stranger things have happened
You have to give Harry Kane credit, he scores so many goals even if he sometimes doesn’t take too much part in the game.
We are in the business end of the season and he scored twice against Leverkusen, he will need to do that again against Inter if he wants to progress in the Champions League.
In the league they’re going strong. They’re six points clear and he gets the goals. Would somebody else do a better job? I do not know.
Obviously he’s cost a lot of money and been bought to score these goals. Now they are in the quarter-final and could potentially go further, whether he can do that the jury is still out for me.
The bottom line is that he does score an awful lot of goals and he’s probably the most important player for Bayern.
When it comes to winning his first trophy, I’m not sure Leverkusen are capable of winning all their games which they probably need to do in order to win the Bundesliga.
But Leverkusen have no European games and Bayern Munich have, Manuel Neuer is probably out for a few more weeks now with his calf problem. So who knows?
I don’t think it’ll happen, but stranger things have happened in football.
Ignore the rumours – I can’t see Harry Kane at Liverpool
I cannot see Harry Kane at Liverpool, despite the rumours. He’s quite settled here in Munich. I don’t think they’ve got any interest in selling him and I’m not sure whether he wants to go to the north of England.
I think if he does go back, he’s probably playing for a London club. I can’t really see him at Liverpool.
Whether Thomas Tuchel should’ve criticised Gareth Southgate I don’t know
Thomas Tuchel has been open about how he feels, whether he should say it as a new manager I don’t know, but he’s straight talking.
That probably puts even more pressure on him in his job but if he can take it that pressure then fair play to him.
He said after the game that the wingers he wasn’t too happy with. What you see is what you get. He says it how it is and I think it served him well in his career so far and he’s not going to stop.
German fans wish Thomas Tuchel well – but didn’t think the England job was possible
German fans wish Thomas Tuchel well, but they wouldn’t if he came up against Germany in the World Cup.
He has done a brilliant job at Chelsea, PSG, Mainz and Dortmund, he has won trophies and he has support, the German people are just surprised that England chose a German manager.
We didn’t think that was possible, it probably wasn’t a few years ago, but fans here wish him well.
We could eventually see an English boss in charge of Germany
I thought Germany could appoint a Dutch manager, but an Englishman? I don’t think so.
Probably not, but then again, the question is whether we have a foreigner at some stage.
I think at some stage we will have one and if there’s a good Englishman out there, why not?
Arsenal should sign Leroy Sane – but not on a normal contract
Leroy Sane’s consistency has been a problem with Bayern Munich. This is why he probably won’t get offered a new contract.
However, I think if you give him a performance-based contract, you’d have a brilliant player on your hands. That’s what I would do. I heard that Arsenal are interested and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.
I think he’s a good kid. I think some people read too much into body language, if you look at Lionel Messi’s body language you think he’s a non-league player.
So I don’t give too much thought to that, I think he’s a good kid. The fact is he’s not been consistent enough, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be for Arsenal next season.
Jeremie Frimpong is a good option to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool
I was surprised that nobody signed Jeremie Frimpong last summer for around £40million, there was an option and nobody took it, but he is a brilliant player.
He has lots of pace, he scores and sets up goals, he is a very modern player and he would do a great job in the Premier League.
He is more of a wing-back than a full-back, but he would be a great player for Liverpool to have, he’d give another option outside of Mohamed Salah who likes to cut in on his left foot.
Every team needs pace and he has certainly got it, he would be a good option for Liverpool if Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves.
The Premier League is too big a step for Nicolas Kuhn — I see him at Frankfurt
For Nicolas Kuhn, I think the Premier League would be too big a step up from Scotland, I think moving to Germany would be the best move for him.
I think a team like Frankfurt would suit him, they have shown that they can improve players and they play good football, they have done well in Europe too.
I think Frankfurt would be a great option for Nicolas Kuhn.
Liverpool should keep an eye on Nico Schlotterbeck
Borussia Dortmund are struggling this season and will probably miss out on the Champions League, so I think they will have to sell players.
Jamie Gittens has dropped off a bit, but is still a hugely talented player that I am a big fan of. Nico Schlotterbeck is a player I think Liverpool could look at, he is a left-footed centre back that is good on the ball and has a bit of pace.
He has been one of their best players this season and he is a player to keep an eye on.
I can see a PSG vs Bayern Munich Champions League final – with one winner
I had a feeling that PSG would knock Liverpool out of the Champions League and I think they are the most in-form team in Europe.
I think they are on the tougher side of the draw, but PSG will take care of Aston Villa and then have enough to beat Arsenal and Real Madrid.
I think it could end up being PSG vs Bayern Munich in Munich, will PSG winning it.