Liverpool target striker with 256 goals in one season as Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘stigma’ emerges amid Anfield return call

Liverpool are keeping tabs on Michael Mulholland of Crusaders, according to a report, as Tottenham Hotspur left-back Andy Robertson reacts to criticism of Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold during his time at Anfield.

According to The Daily Mail, Liverpool have been scouting Crusaders striker Mulholland.

The 15-year-old Northern Ireland youth international is said to have once scored 256 goals in a single season.

Liverpool eye Michael Mulholland

The report has noted: ‘Another player Liverpool have watched is striker Michael Mulholland from Northern Irish side Crusaders.

‘The Belfast-born forward supposedly once scored 256 in a single season.

‘He already has several caps for the Northern Ireland youth team and an adidas deal.’

In June 2026, This is Anfield reported that Liverpool were planning to sign Mulholland in 2027.

Mulholland is ineligible to leave Northern Ireland until he turns 16 in January 2027.

The report claimed that Mulholland had been promoted to the first team of the Belfast club Crusaders.

The youngster has since scored one goal in two matches for Crusaders.

The 15-year-old striker scored on his senior debut for Crusaders in a 4-1 defeat to Coleraine earlier this month.

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Andy Robertson on Trent Alexander-Arnold

Former Liverpool left-back Robertson believes that Alexander-Arnold has been harshly criticised for his defensive performances.

Robertson and Alexander-Arnold played together for years at Liverpool.

While England international right-back Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for Real Madrid in the summer of 2025, Scotland international left-back Robertson moved to Tottenham as a free agent at the end of last season.

Robertson said about Alexander-Arnold on The Overlap, as relayed by The Mirror: “It’s very different when you are English, compared to another nationality.

“I always said to Trent, ‘I will never get as much high praise as you, but I’ll never get as much criticism as you.'”

Robertson added: “The way I defended at Liverpool compared to Trent was very different.

“I had Sadio helping me out and he was a bit more aggressive so if I missed [a tackle], he’d usually be there.

“With Mo [Salah], we didn’t want him coming back towards our box.

“A lot of times, Trent was waiting on someone like [Jordan Henderson] to come over, so, sometimes, I started to feel sorry for him.”

Roberton continued: “I’ve seen him lock out [Kylian] Mbappe at PSG.

“In the Champions League finals, he was unbelievable.

“Trent is a very, very good defender… [in his] best games, he was an unbelievable one-v-one defender.

“Now, at times, he maybe makes mistakes. But we all do.

“But it’s if [Trent] had this stigma around him, that he can’t defend.

“And he’s had that from a very early age. It’s as if he can’t shift it.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold backed to return to Liverpool

Former England manager Sam Allardyce believes that Alexander-Arnold should return to Liverpool if he is unable to cement his place in the Madrid starting line-up.

Alexander-Arnold faces competition from Denzel Dumfries for a place in Jose Mourinho’s team.

Allardyce said on the No Tippy Tappy Football, as relayed by The Liverpool Echo: “At 27, Trent still has years ahead of him.

“This is his prime.

“He’s at Real Madrid, and his experience there should stand him in good stead to be even better than he was when he left Liverpool, even though he hasn’t played as often as he would’ve liked.

“If he is going to be a Real Madrid player, then this season he needs to be playing more than ever – if not, he should come back to the Premier League – Liverpool could do with him back.

“He’s capable of opening the opposition up.

“There have always been question marks over his defending, and rightly so, but that’s the same for most right-backs now.

“They stand with their hands behind the backs and don’t stop crosses.”

Allardyce added: “When Liverpool weren’t quite as good under Jurgen Klopp as they had been for a few years and they started conceding more goals, his defending got pointed out by everyone.

“He’s not much worse than most other full-backs.

“His quality on the ball and ability to open up the opposition, whether it’s with short or long passes, are massive assets to England.

“I’m glad to see him back.”

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