From probably the most expensive option on the market to one of the more budget-friendly choices, Ola Aina has had an impressive season at Nottingham Forest. The Nigerian international is clearly nowhere near as similar to Trent as Pedro Porro or the rest of this list would be but that doesn’t mean he should be ruled out.

Firstly, there are some metrics outlined by the comparison chart that Aina comes out favourably in. He completes about twice the amount of dribbles per 90 minutes compared to the Liverpool man. He also has a much higher percentage of dribblers tackled, with 61% compared to Trent’s 45%. Surprisingly Aina also has a better cross accuracy and a very similar pass completion percentage.

They both produce quite similar progressive carry numbers while being dispossessed a comparable amount per 90 minutes, although Trent does still come out on top in both aspects.

That’s where the similarities end, though, as Trent produces far more key passes, deliveries into the penalty area, scoring contributions, and shots created for teammates in open play. That’s not too surprising as Trent is of course one of the best players in his position in that regard.

What’s slightly more surprising is that Trent also makes more tackles and interceptions when adjusted for possession. Trent also commits fewer fouls than Ola Aina does.

In truth though, if Aina is the player Liverpool decide to target this summer, it won’t be because he’s similar to Trent Alexander-Arnold in the way he plays the game. It’s all the other comparisons that make him an appealing option and why we have listed him as one of the most viable options here.

Firstly, Aina is a homegrown player. Trent is obviously homegrown at the club and so losing him is not ideal for Liverpool’s adherence to the registration rules. It wouldn’t be too important in isolation, but when you consider that many other homegrown players like Kelleher, Quansah, Gomez, Morton, and Elliott are also being linked with moves away from the club, suddenly Liverpool will be in a precarious position and any potential targets with homegrown status become much more appealing.

Secondly, Aina could be available on a free this summer. His contract expires on the same day Trent’s does, so in theory Liverpool could have Trent’s replacement lined up immediately and for an equal net value. There is speculation, however, that Forest could have an extension clause that, when triggered, will mean Aina will no longer be available on a free.

If that happens, and Liverpool don’t want to spend huge amounts of money replacing Trent, we could see them going for one of the other three solutions on our list.