Trent Alexander-Arnold was the subject of a rejected bid from Real Madrid on New Year’s Eve and Liverpool manager Arne Slot has now had his say on the England international’s future
Arne Slot brushed off concerns about Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s focus amid Real Madrid transfer talk, revealing he’s chatted with the Liverpool star.
Despite Real’s approach for the 26-year-old this New Year’s Eve, hoping to snag the England defender early due to Dani Carvajal’s injury woes, the Premier League and Champions League leaders shot down the January transfer idea.The Reds are intent on not selling their vice-captain and are eager to pin him with a new deal. When quizzed about the full-back’s future and their chat, Slot said: “Do you really think [I will say]?
“I completely understand the question and why you ask it but you already know the answer, these conversations I have never shared, not about Trent not about any others, about what I talk to them about.”Slot downplayed the impact of transfer speculation, reports the Mirror. He added: “If it would destabilise players at Liverpool if other people talk about them then we would really have a problem because if you play at one of the biggest clubs in the world everybody is always for 12 months long – talking about you, sometimes in relation to other clubs.
“That happens so, so many times for our players so if that destabilises them then we really would have had a problem not only now but in the last six months because there were some talks about our players in the last six months and I don’t think it destabilised them at all.”
Speaking about the prospect of a key player departing in January, Slot said: “I can tell you he is playing on Sunday [against Manchester United] and hopefully he brings the same performances as he brought in for the last half-year because everybody saw how great a first half of the season he had, how much he is here, how much he wants to win here.
“He played an incredible game against West Ham, we all remember the pass he gave to Mo [Salah]. I see him on the training ground every day working his a*** off.
“He is fully committed to us and he will play on Sunday if they don’t tell me he is sick but I don’t expect them to.”
Additionally, Slot lauded Alexander-Arnold’s efforts this term. He said: “Defensively Trent has made a step up this season. Outstanding in some games but up and down in some too, so it’s about consistency for top players. That is where the biggest improvement can come.”Real are rumoured to be preparing another approach and seemingly have no qualms about shelling out roughly £20million for a star who could leave Liverpool without a fee next summer, given that his current deal with the club he grew up supporting is drawing to a close.