New boy Glen Johnson's versatility could be a major boost for Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez as the season approaches.
And the Anfield chief has already tried out the England man at left-back, which is going to a problem position when the new season starts.
With Brazilian full-back Fabio Aurelio out for a couple of months after knee surgery, Benitez lacks an experienced left-back for the start of the new campaign.
He has youngsters Emiliano Insua, plus newly-signed teenager Chris Mavinga from Paris St Germain while erratic Italian international Andrea Dossena is an option.
But in only his second training session, right-back Johnson was tried out on the left.
He says: "There is a lot of versatility to my game, I can play in different positions.
"At the end of last season I was even playing off the front two at Portsmouth as an attacker. That may have been a one-off, but I did enjoy it all the same.
"I can play on the right of midfield, and I feel comfortable there. In my younger days I was a striker and at West Ham I played a lot in central defence for the youth sides.
"But it is not easy for a 17-year-old to play centre-back in the Premier League, so I was put in at right-back there.
"Rafa has spoken to me about my versatility, even in my first day of training with the squad he tried me at left-back.
"It is good for a squad that you can play in more than one position, I don't really mind where."
Johnson will make his Liverpool debut next Wednesday in the club's first pre-season friendly against St Gallen in Switzerland, and nobody should be surprised to see him given a run-out at left back, such are Benitez's problems in that area.
But long term, Johnson seems certain to replace Arbeloa on the right of defence, with the Spanish international likely to be sold to Real Madrid.
Johnson says of his new Anfield career: "The lads here had a fantastic season last time out, finishing second, and I just want to do my best to help them improve even more.
"I know already that the players here are determined to improve on that and it will be fantastic to play alongside people like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
"People saw how I played last season, and I know I can do even better than that."
Johnson, 24, is just delighted to be back at a top-four club after his career at Chelsea nose-dived once Jose Mourinho took over.
The Greenwich-born player said: "I suppose I have come full circle. Back to a top-four club with the chance to play in the Champions League.
"It started well for me at Chelsea under Claudio (Ranieri), but when Mourinho came in and brought in his own players everything started to change. I wasn't getting games and I wanted to leave.
"I left Chelsea to do exactly what I have done, going to Portsmouth gave me the chance to play and improve. And aim now to keep that improvement going here.
"I wished I'd played more at Chelsea, but there is no point worrying about the past when I have a big future ahead of me.
"Liverpool were so close to winning the title last season, and I have already realised how desperate the lads here are to go that one more step now to win the title.
"Everybody at this club wants to improve, the fans want that and they want the league title. That is what the players here want to give them."
Liverpool fly out to their Swiss training camp on Sunday, with Javier Mascherano expected to join them on Tuesday. His wife, Fernanda, is due to give birth to the couple's second child this weekend.
Liverpool will be based in Bad Ragaz, and will travel from there to Vienna next weekend for the friendly against Rapid Vienna on July 19.
There they will be joined by the club's Spanish contingent, and the squad will fly direct to the Far East for matches against Thailand on July 22 and Singapore on July 26.
The party will then return to Liverpool after the match, and have three days off before returning to training ahead of the away friendly in Barcelona against Espanyol on August 2.
Being away from the UK for more than two weeks will mean that the futures of Mascherano and Xabi Alonso will be sorted out while Liverpool are on their travels.
