Slot: Alexander-Arnold 'fully committed' to Liverpool despite Real Madrid link

Arne Slot insists Trent Alexander-Arnold is focused on Liverpool in the wake of Real Madrid’s approach this week.

However, when the Liverpool boss was offered the chance to state publicly the England international would not be sold in January, the Dutchman merely said he would be playing against Manchester United on Sunday.

Slot, as the club’s first head coach rather than manager, has had responsibility for contract negotiations and transfers taken out of his hands and, as a result, has always refused to speak about them and defer to sporting director Richard Hughes.

Privately, the club insist the 26-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer, is not for sale and when the Champions League holders made an enquiry a few days ago, it was immediately rebuffed with the message they had no intention of discussing it further.

I see him [Alexander-Arnold] on the training ground every day working his a** off. He is fully committed to us and he will play on Sunday.

Slot remained guarded in his press conference, but confirmed he has spoken with Alexander-Arnold following the Real approach and does not believe it will have a destabilising effect.

“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,” he said.

“It was a conversation as many others we had, me and Trent, so let’s leave it at that.

“I can tell you he is playing on Sunday 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.

“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 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 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.”

‘Slot in fine form – only question marks remain over contracts!’

Sky Sports News’ Sanny Rudravajhala at the Liverpool AXA Training Centre:

“A busy press room today, packed with familiar faces to say hello to, wish well for the new year and, most importantly, ask on how we’re going to grill the boss on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future!

“The Real Madrid approach as we were all getting ready to count down to midnight on New Year’s Eve was the hot topic. Arne Slot was quite open when I asked him on what more we can see from the Liverpool full-back, but had a straight bat on his future.

“What we do know is he’ll be playing on Sunday. The Dutchman was all smiles, as you’d expect given his side are six points clear and was open too on how good Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk have been so far this season.

“It does make you wonder why theirs and Alexander-Arnold’s futures are still undecided but it does give us journalists something to talk about, and Liverpool fans something to worry about!”

Everything Slot said on Alexander-Arnold’s future at Anfield

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot:

“Trent can still improve and I already saw some improvement this season, but these players are on top of the world and do not have much room for improvement, although there is always some room.

“In my opinion, Trent has made a step up defensively this season and in some games he was outstanding in every part of the game, sometimes he was a bit up and down and could have done a bit better.

“But it is abut consistency for top players.

“I speak to every player once in a while and that is the same for Trent, so yes I have spoken to him.

“I can tell you that is Trent is playing on Sunday! And hopefully he brings the performances of the first half of the season, you saw how much he wants to be here and wants to win here.

“We all saw that against West Ham, the pass he gave to Mo…I see him at training every day, working his a*** off. He is fully committed to us and he will play on Sunday.

“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 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.”

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