Givairo Read and Martím Fernandes: Can Either Challenge Conor Bradley at Liverpool?
As Liverpool prepare for life after Trent Alexander-Arnold, the spotlight has naturally fallen on Conor Bradley. But should the young Northern Irishman be handed the right-back role without competition? On the Stat Me Up podcast from Anfield Index, Dave Davis and Dr Phil Barter dissected two potential signings—Givairo Read of Feyenoord and Martím Fernandes of Porto—both of whom have been linked with moves to Anfield this summer.
Givairo Read: Too Raw for the Step Up?
At just 19 years old, Feyenoord’s Givairo Read is admired for his athleticism and youth. But when it comes to hard data, concerns quickly surface. “There is not a lot of data on Givairo Read,” Dr Barter noted. “He plays in the Eredivisie, so they don’t do a lot of stats there… they do stats but they’re not public.”
Even in the limited metrics available, Barter was sceptical: “Pass completion 83rd but it’s still in the 50th. Aerials, 4th percentile. That’s not great.” When it comes to attacking contribution, Read’s profile falls flat. “He’s red on going forward,” Barter explained bluntly, pointing out that aside from tackling, there are few standout areas.
Davis questioned whether even his limited attacking impact could be translated to Liverpool: “Six assists in those minutes seems decent, or is it just because it’s the division?” Barter’s reply was cautious: “Pro-rata, that is pretty low. Expected assist is 0.1… that’s pretty low.”
In summary, Read may be full of potential, but for a team needing immediate quality behind or alongside Bradley, he remains a risky choice. “There’s not enough to draw a reasonable conclusion… I’d be a fool if I was sat here now telling you to go and sign him,” said Barter.
Martím Fernandes: Better Stats, But Still Incomplete Picture
Porto’s Martím Fernandes offers a slightly more promising profile, albeit still with a small sample size. “Expected assists, yeah okay, 87th percentile. Passes into the penalty area, 94th. Through balls, 99th percentile,” Barter highlighted. There are clear green flags when it comes to passing and creative contribution.
“Portugal translates to the Premier League at a better rate than Eredivisie,” Barter added, noting a “10%” better conversion rate. Fernandes is also just 19 but already has five assists in limited minutes. “There are things to like about him,” Barter admitted. “He outperforms Read.”
But he was quick to balance the optimism: “We’re talking about 312 minutes. This is not something to be making huge assumptions on.” While Fernandes shows technical promise—particularly in long and progressive passing—he still lags behind when it comes to consistency and defensive output. “Against dribblers he’s okay… not really a high presser,” said Barter. “Takes players on but not successful—22nd percentile.”
What This Means for Liverpool’s Summer Plans
The underlying theme throughout the podcast was caution. Liverpool are clearly exploring young, developmental options for right-back depth, but neither Read nor Fernandes looks ready to push Bradley immediately. “It does feel like it’s one of these two,” Davis said, adding that the data suggests they’re “coming in to be number two… maybe see if they can challenge long-term.”
Barter concluded: “Maybe the data they have is good enough they’re prepared to make a gamble on him at 19. If it’s low value, maybe it’s worth it.” But in terms of current readiness, both players fall short of what’s needed to match the output of Bradley—let alone replace the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold.
For Arne Slot, the choice may not be whether to sign either Read or Fernandes, but whether he can mould Bradley fast enough—or needs a more experienced alternative in the short term.
