Paul Scholes believes Arne Slot may not have actually wanted Trent Alexander-Arnold in his team after seeing the Liverpool boss’ reaction to him while playing firsthand.
Alexander-Arnold will of course leave Anfield this summer, having already announced his decision to depart at the end of his contract last week. A move to Real Madrid now looks to just be a matter of time, having been touted throughout the season.
In fact, the 26-year-old could end up joining the Spanish giant before his deal expires, with Madrid keen to have him involved in the Club World Cup in the United States this summer. That means Liverpool could still receive a fee for the academy graduate, although an offer is till yet to come from Real.
Slot and Richard Hughes don’t look as though they’re wasting any time finding a replacement either. Jeremie Frimpong looks as though he could be heading to Anfield this summer, with reports in Germany suggesting talks are already advanced, while it’s also claimed that the Bayer Leverkusen star has already given the green light on his end.
Nevertheless, Alexander-Arnold’s departure will come as a big blow to Liverpool, with fans having made their feelings clear when the right-back was booed against Arsenal at the weekend.
Former Manchester United midfielder Scholes though isn’t all that convinced Slot was too keen on having the England international.
(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
“I actually wasn’t sure that Arne Slot liked him in his team,” Scholes told The Overlap’s Fan Debate.
“I remember watching the United game at Old Trafford and thinking ‘I don’t think Slot actually wants that’. I was watching him on the touchline and he kept shaking his head and putting his head down, looking at the bench.
“It didn’t look like he was the type of right back he wanted. I think he wanted a bit more control. Around that time, Trent may have been thinking about Real back then. The talk of ‘not being loved’ could be a real factor.”
Despite Scholes’ theory, and the reaction of Liverpool fans at the weekend, Slot has not ruled out playing Alexander-Arnold again during the Reds’ final two games of the season against Brighton and Crystal Palace.
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“The thing I have to consider is I want to win a game of football and, if I think we can win with Trent, I owe it to his teammates and to the fans [to play him] because the club hired me to win as many games of football as possible,” Slot said on Sunday. “And if I think there’s a better chance of winning with Trent, then I will [pick him].
“If I think it’s a distraction or whatever for us not to play a good game of football, then I might, might, might make another decision. But I think Trent showed today why I brought him in because he was very close with a few fantastic crosses for us to helping us win the game.”
Liverpool.com says: We’re not too sure Scholes’ theory holds much weight here. Liverpool is undoubtedly a better team with Alexander-Arnold in it, and Slot has said as much at various points during the season.
That game at Old Trafford was still very early in his reign as head coach, so if he wasn’t all that happy with Alexander-Arnold’s performance that day, chances are he will have ironed out some of the finer points in the subsequent months.
