Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has refused to discuss Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future with the expectation now that the Reds’ number 66 will be heading to Real Madrid when his contract expires.
Over the international break, it emerged in Spain that Real Madrid is confident of tying up a deal for Alexander-Arnold. While nothing is confirmed yet, the feeling is that the Liverpool vice-captain will make the switch to the Bernabeu.
There, he will become the latest high-profile name to join Los Blancos for no transfer fee. He will be playing alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, the latter of whom he is close friends with from his time with England.
“His situation is unfortunately that he is injured,” Slot said during his pre-Everton press conference. “Otherwise people would have probably spoken that he had one or two good performances for the England team.
“He is injured and that means for him, he is fully focused on his recovery. We try to help him as much as we can and for the rest, of course, for eight months it went up and down with all kind of talks about him, Virgil [van Dijk] and Mo [Salah], but we have never been focused on those [outside] talks.
“It is a situation that has been here for eight or nine months now. All these three players have played so well under these circumstances and it doesn’t affect us at all.
“I always try to be rational and judge the PSG and Newcastle situation. It has not happened many times that from the nine serious games a team plays in Europe, you win eight and you only lose one game and you are out before the quarter-finals [of the Champions League]. But the final was the first time we deserved to lose a game.”
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“I understand the frustration of Liverpool supporters towards Trent Alexander-Arnold over his decision to join Real Madrid but I don’t think they can be too critical,” Reds legend Graeme Souness wrote for the Daily Mail last week. “I’m not sure whether the backlash is more because Liverpool won’t be getting a substantial fee or just that Trent has chosen to leave.
“The timing of the news is unfortunate but that leak would not have come from Trent or his team. There is zero benefit to him or Liverpool in this coming out at this time, with a league title still to be won.
“Whatever the reasoning, the flak that may come his way in the remaining months will be nothing he can’t handle. You don’t play for a club like Liverpool with a poor temperament so he will cope with the criticism.
“He has given good service. He has been at the club for 20 years, he has won six trophies and what looks like becoming two Premier League titles, now he fancies another challenge. Like any ambitious young man, should we begrudge him that?”
