- Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool contract will expire at the end of the season
- Real Madrid had an approach for the rejected right-back earlier this week
- LISTEN NOW: It's all starting! New line-up, some new faces, but optimism has faded at Old Trafford
Arne Slot has dismissed the idea that speculation over Trent Alexander-Arnold's future is destabilizing – and even suggested it could be helpful to Liverpool's title challenge.
Real Madrid are intensifying their pursuit of the 26-year-old right-back, whose contract expires at the end of this season, and the European champions saw a bid to sign him in January rejected this week.
Liverpool are understood to have yet to receive any official offer for Alexander-Arnold, but sources in Spain say Real Madrid are very confident in tempting him to join them, probably in the summer.
And Slot believes it could be a good thing for Liverpool as it removes scrutiny from their performances on the pitch, which perhaps go unnoticed. “No, maybe it's even helpful now that you ask me,” he said when asked if it was a distraction.
“Because if it's just about how well we're doing, then maybe every week I have to have a meeting to tell the players 'it's not perfect yet' and that we have to do better; now maybe it's also about things different (in the future). press) and not everyone tells them how great they are.
'So sometimes that can help too. But it doesn't distract me at all, I think we get enough credit for the way we play, and here in the building we don't even talk about it (speculation). Maybe in the building, yes, but I and the players don't talk about these situations.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is free to discuss terms with overseas clubs when his contract expires in the summer.
Arne Slot, however, suggested speculation over his star's future could help his Reds team.
It is believed that Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid is very confident in being able to sign the right-back
“It is not distracting at all, it is part of the business we are in and in the month of January it happens in all the clubs in the world.” People talk about: “Will he get in? Will it go away? “It doesn't distract me at all and I don't think it distracts the players either.”
Slot, whose side host rival Manchester United on Sunday, previously insisted Alexander-Arnold is fully committed to Liverpool. When asked if he can categorically say that he will not leave this month, the head coach said: “I can tell you that he will play on Sunday and I hope he will have the same performances as he has over the last half year.”
'I see him on the training pitch every day working hard. He is fully committed to us and will play on Sunday, if they don't tell me he is sick! But I don't expect them to.
Meanwhile, Joe Gomez will miss at least a few weeks due to the hamstring injury he suffered at West Ham last week, but fellow defenders Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley trained with the team for the first time on Friday as they step up. his recovery.