There was a time when Liverpool's right-back position looked almost blessed. Trent Alexander-Arnold had established himself as one of the best players in the world in the position, Conor Bradley emerged as one of the most exciting young right-backs in European football, and then Jeremie Frimpong arrived as one of the continent's most feared attacking full-backs.
Yet somehow, all three have seen their careers take an astonishing downturn.
Trent's spectacular Liverpool career ended with a controversial move to Real Madrid. Frimpong arrived at Anfield with enormous expectations but has struggled to reproduce his best form. And Bradley, perhaps the most heartbreaking case of all, has spent months sidelined with injury.
Whether you believe in football curses or not, the strange sequence of events surrounding Liverpool's right-backs is difficult to ignore.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: From Liverpool Hero to Real Madrid Struggles
During his time at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, Trent Alexander-Arnold developed from an academy graduate into one of the most influential right-backs in world football.
His defensive weaknesses were often highlighted, and they were certainly a part of his game that opponents tried to exploit. But what Trent offered going forward was extraordinary. His passing range, crossing, vision, set-piece ability and creativity were virtually unmatched by players in his position.
Even under Arne Slot, during his final season at Liverpool, Trent remained an exceptional attacking force. He finished the campaign with six assists and three goals, numbers that are ridiculous for a right-back and a reminder of just how unique his skill set was.
For years, Liverpool supporters dreamed of seeing their academy graduate eventually become the club's captain. He represented the perfect story: a local boy who had risen through the academy and become a superstar at Anfield.
Then came the contract saga.
After Liverpool's Premier League-winning campaign, it became clear that Trent would not renew his contract and would instead join Real Madrid. The reaction from supporters was brutal. A player who had once been adored by the entire stadium suddenly became one of the most unpopular figures among the fanbase.
Perhaps most painfully, his departure did not receive the emotional farewell many expected for a player who had contributed so much to Liverpool's modern history.
And then things became even stranger.
Trent's move to Real Madrid has failed to produce the career trajectory many expected. Injuries disrupted his early period in Spain, but even after overcoming those setbacks, he struggled to establish himself as an undisputed starter.
Instead of becoming one of the central figures of the Madrid team, he has found himself heavily rotated, with Denzel Dumfries now receiving greater preference under Mourinho.
For a player who once looked destined to dominate his position for years, the decline has been extraordinary.
Jeremie Frimpong: The Dream Replacement Who Never Took Off
Liverpool knew that replacing Trent would be almost impossible.
Rather than finding an identical player, the club turned to another explosive attacking full-back in Jeremie Frimpong.
Frimpong had become one of the most sought-after players in Europe after his sensational spell with Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen that saw them win the Bundesliga. He was a crucial part of the team that conquered Germany and ended Bayern Munich's long-standing dominance, while his blistering pace, attacking instincts and goal contributions made him one of the most exciting wing-backs in Europe.
For Liverpool supporters, his arrival provided some comfort after Trent's departure.
If anyone could soften the blow, surely it was Frimpong.
Unfortunately, his Liverpool career has not gone according to plan.
Like Trent, Frimpong suffered injury problems, but his struggles have extended beyond fitness. Whenever he has been given opportunities, his performances have been surprisingly underwhelming.
The decline has been so dramatic that Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola reportedly dropped him from the right-back position just a few games into the new season following a series of poor performances.
Even more tellingly, when Frimpong has been introduced from the bench, he has often been used further forward as a winger rather than at right-back.
That is a remarkable development for a player who was signed largely because of his reputation as one of Europe's most devastating attacking full-backs.
The player who once terrorised Bundesliga defences now appears to be searching for confidence and consistency at Anfield.
Conor Bradley: Liverpool's Most Heartbreaking Case
Then there is Conor Bradley.
Unlike Trent and Frimpong, Bradley's story is not about a controversial transfer or a dramatic loss of form. It is about what injury can take away from a footballer.
Bradley had already shown himself to be an exciting talent during his breakthrough at Liverpool. His performances suggested that the club had potentially found a long-term successor to Trent.
He possessed the energy, aggression, technical ability and attacking mentality required to thrive at Liverpool. Most importantly, he was young enough to develop into something even greater.
There were occasional concerns about his fitness, but nobody expected his latest injury setback to have such a devastating impact.
Bradley has now spent around eight months out, an extraordinary amount of time for a player who was beginning to establish himself at the highest level.
The timing makes it even more painful.
Before his injury, Bradley was producing magnificent performances week after week. One of the most memorable came against Real Madrid in November 2024, when he produced an outstanding display at Anfield and even silenced Kylian Mbappe.
That performance demonstrated precisely why Liverpool supporters were so excited about him.
Bradley did not look like a youngster simply filling in at right-back. He looked like a player capable of becoming one of the best in his position.
Now, however, there are unavoidable questions.
Will he ever return as the same player?
And even if he does, can he remain consistently fit?
For a young footballer whose momentum had finally started building, eight months on the sidelines can be devastating.
The Liverpool Right-Back Curse
This is where the situation starts to feel bizarre.
One of the best right-backs in world football and two of the most exciting right-backs in the game have all suffered significant setbacks around the same period.
Trent has gone from being a Liverpool superstar to struggling for regular prominence at Real Madrid.
Frimpong has gone from one of Europe's most exciting attacking full-backs to struggling for his place at Liverpool.
And Bradley has gone from producing outstanding performances and looking like a potential star of the future to spending eight months injured.
Different circumstances have caused their respective declines. Injuries, loss of form, confidence issues, tactical changes and difficult career transitions have all played their part.
Yet the coincidence is extraordinary.
Liverpool once appeared to have an embarrassment of riches at right-back. Trent was already world class, Bradley looked like a potential successor, and Frimpong seemed like the ideal high-profile replacement.
Instead, all three have somehow become forgotten stars.
That is why, whether you believe in curses or not, the Liverpool right-back curse almost feels real.
Of course, football is rarely that simple. Players suffer injuries and form changes, managers make different tactical decisions and careers naturally go through peaks and valleys.
But seeing three exceptionally talented players connected to Liverpool's right-back position experience such dramatic setbacks at almost the same time is undeniably one of the strangest stories in modern football.
The hope is that this is not the end of their stories.
Trent still has the ability to remind the football world why Real Madrid wanted him. Frimpong had already shown at Leverkusen that he can be devastating at his best. And Bradley is still young enough to rebuild his career if he can finally overcome his injury problems.
Perhaps the curse can still be broken.
For now, though, the rise and fall of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley remains one of the most bizarre and unfortunate coincidences modern football has produced, three right-backs who once looked destined to shine among the very best, only to see their careers take dramatically different turns.