Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has said Trent Alexander-Arnold remains “fully committed” to the club despite interest from Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the season and sources have told ESPN he is Madrid’s top defensive target following a long-term injury to right-back Dani Carvajal. It was thought Madrid preferred to wait until next summer to sign Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer, but they approached Liverpool on Tuesday about a potential move this month.
A source told ESPN that the approach was quickly rebuffed by the Premier League leaders, who are unlikely to sanction their vice-captain’s exit this month. Speaking in a news conference on Friday ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Manchester United, Slot refused to be drawn on the matter but insisted Alexander-Arnold remains focused on the task at hand at Anfield.
“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, everyone for 12 months long is talking about you, sometimes in relation to other clubs,” Slot said.
“That happens so many times for our players that if that destabilises them, then we really would have had a problem not only now, but also in the past six months, because I think there were some talks about our players in the past six months and I don’t think that destabilised them at all.”
Asked whether he could categorically rule out Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool in January, Slot added: “I can tell you that he’s playing on Sunday. I think everybody saw how great of a first half of season he had, how much he is here, how much he wants to win here.
“He played an incredible game against West Ham. I think we all saw the pass he gave for the second goal to Mo [Salah]. I see him on the training ground every day, working his a— off, so he’s fully committed to us.”
Slot confirmed he has spoken to Alexander-Arnold since the news of Madrid’s approach broke but remained tight-lipped when asked to give details of the exchange.
“I speak to every player once in a while,” he said. “For Trent that is the same, so yes, I spoke to him. These conversations I have never shared. It was a conversation as many others we had, me and Trent. Let’s leave it at that.”
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