Liverpool transfer news: Bradley won't 'fear' Frimpong arrival to fill TAA void

When Fernando Torres stood on the touchline managing Atletico Madrid's U19s against Liverpool, he didn't know it, but he was watching the kid tipped to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold.

As he paced and gestured from the dugout, it wasn't frustration - it was approval. The source of his attention wasn't a striker or a playmaker. It was Liverpool's right-back.

"Torres was just folding his arms, shaking his head at everything Conor was doing," recalls Aidy Laird, one of the first to spot a young Conor Bradley, while speaking to Sky Sports.

"I was sitting in the stand and Torres was watching as Conor used his pace to go by players, pick out passes, knew when to drop back, get forward, when to mix into the middle. He's just a natural."

That game told you everything about Bradley, the 21-year-old preparing to take on an even greater role following Alexander-Arnold's departure, with his next opportunity arriving against Brighton on Monday Night Football.

With a new long-term Liverpool deal signed, Bradley is the man with the opportunity to make the position his own, but to those who know him, none of this is a surprise.

Laird, a local coach and referee, first saw him at a youth game he happened to be officiating.

He recalled: "I met Joe McAree (Dungannon) at a training session and said, 'Joe, I think I've got a lad that would fit the bill.' Joe asked, 'What age?' I said, 'Nine or 10 - but I'm telling you, there's something special here'."

That "something" was more than just raw ability. "His second touch always came from his first," Laird continued. "He already knew what was coming next. It was instinct. Awareness. I knew then he'd go on to something big."

Bradley's rise began in earnest in Northern Ireland and he impressed at one of his former clubs, Dungannon United Youth.

Coach Dixie Robinson still remembers the day he arrived. "He came down from Castlederg when he was about 11. We'd heard a lot about him," Robinson said.

"We didn't get him at first because of the travel. But we kept in touch with his mum, Linda, and eventually got him back at U14."

His work rate stood out immediately. "His attitude and his work ethic was phenomenal," Robinson continued. "I remember one session we only had one goalkeeper. Conor sprinted in, threw himself into the goals, diving about. He was just enthusiastic about everything."

That enthusiasm was contagious - and backed up by quality. "He was infectious," Robinson adds. "He could score goals, press, recover and defend.

"Honestly, I didn't see him becoming a right-back because he was scoring loads and loads. But he's so coachable, so grounded. He made the position his own."

Laird watched the transformation happen. "When Conor played local football, he was scoring goals for fun out wide or up top. Now he's Liverpool's right-back. It just shows you, if the focus is there, if the desire is there, you can play anywhere."

As he made his way in the professional game, Bradley would later shine on loan at Bolton Wanderers, playing 53 games, scoring seven times and sweeping up player of the year and players' player of the year awards.

He returned to Liverpool and impressed in his debut first-team season, featuring 27 times, scoring against Chelsea and winning the Carabao Cup.

His Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill fully believes he can fill Liverpool's Alexander-Arnold-shaped hole in the defence.

"Yeah, I've no concerns about Conor's mentality at all, to be honest. It's something that he's got, it's one of the things you'd have least concerns about," O'Neill told Sky Sports.

"The only worry for me is that he's just been a little bit unlucky with the injuries that he's had.

"I think Conor has shown that he's more than capable of playing at that level, playing in a team of that calibre as well.

"They're a team that are performing at a level as high as any team in Europe at the minute. I think that people probably haven't even seen the best of Conor."

What he needs now is rhythm. "The real time to judge him will be when he gets the opportunity to play 10, 15, 20 games in a row for Liverpool, which he hasn't had because Trent's been there," O'Neill continued.

"But also, when Trent's possibly not been available with injury, Conor's tended to pick up an injury as well. So that's been very frustrating for him."

Asked to compare Bradley to Alexander-Arnold, O'Neill is clear. "He's a different type of player, clearly, from Trent in terms of what their attacking assets are. Conor's attacking assets are his running ability.

"He makes great runs on the inside of Mo Salah when he plays. He can play high and play on the outside as well. He tends to get into more advanced areas to cross the ball than Trent does, but then Trent can cross the ball and play passes from deeper areas.

"For us he plays in a variety of positions. He can play wing-back, he can play right-back. We've played him more advanced in a more attacking area, and he's played very well in that position as well. I think in our team, he could certainly play as a right-sided midfield player, like a right-eight as well.

"Conor probably enjoys defending more, I would say. He's more aggressive defensively. But in terms of level, I think he's at the top level now. Once you're there, it's about getting minutes. It is a challenge."

Liverpool's interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong is a reminder of the sheer competition at the top clubs. The Reds are close to completing a deal to sign the 24-year-old, Sky Sports News understands.

O'Neill added: "At a club like Liverpool, you must expect that. I don't think he fears that competition at all. He's a player that I still think people have yet to see anywhere near the best of Conor.

"But Conor leads by example in terms of how he plays. I think also where he's good is that when things are maybe not going his way in a game, he has the mentality to play through that type of difficult moment."

Those who watched him grow agree with O'Neill that he'll embrace competition. "If someone came to him and said, 'We're bringing in a new player (in his position)', Conor would say, 'OK, then I've got to step up again,'" says Laird.

"He's not arrogant - he's determined. And he's a team player."

Robinson agrees. "He's been travelling to Liverpool since he was 11. He's put the work in, stayed grounded. I think that's what sets him apart.

"His family have always looked after him and made sure that he didn't get too carried away. Linda and Joe did a phenomenal job with Conor. He's world-class now. To see the kids coming in with 'Bradley 84' on the back of their shirt is amazing."

When Liverpool handed Bradley a long-term contract extension this month, it was confirmation of what many had already seen coming.

"To sign another contract, I'm very proud," Bradley said at the weekend. "I'm just happy to see what the next steps are in our journey together. You've got to keep your head down and keep working hard."

Now, with Alexander-Arnold gone and the path clear, Bradley's moment isn't just coming - it's here.

And if you ask those who saw it first, they'll all tell you the same thing: you just knew