Liverpool boss Arne Slot says “the outside world does not know what is going to happen” with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future, amid reports that he will join Real Madrid at the end of the season.
Alexander-Arnold is injured and not expected back for a few weeks, but his future dominated the international break as speculation swirled about the defender agreeing to move to Spain on a free transfer in the summer when his deal runs out.
Sky Sports News understands Real Madrid are progressing in talks over a deal for Alexander-Arnold, who has not pursued the possibility of agreeing an improved contract with Liverpool, but there is still much to be sorted and no guarantee the deal happens.
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Alexander-Arnold is one of three Liverpool players, including Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk, out of contract this summer, but Slot says their focus on the team’s Premier League title chase has been unwavering.
“There has been no change at all in his behaviour or the way we look at things,” the Liverpool boss told Sky Sports News ahead of Wednesday’s match against Everton – live on Sky Sports.
“Nothing has changed at all. No, not for us, not for me. I’ve worked with these three players for almost eight or nine months now, and the same situation is still there. The outside world doesn’t know what’s going to happen.”
Slot added: “There is a lot of talk about [Trent], like there is about Virgil and about Mo.
“But that also tells you what a quality player he is, because there are many players around the world that have a contract that ends in the summer, and nobody talks about them.
“But there are a lot of [people talking] about these players for the simple reason that they are so good. But here in the building, we don’t talk about that.”
With Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future at Liverpool very much in doubt amid his desire to join Real Madrid, Jamie Carragher looks at what he has meant to the club and how he will be regarded in the eyes of the fans
Slot was equally guarded about Alexander-Arnold when asked about it at the top of his press conference ahead of the Merseyside derby.
“The situation is that he’s injured. He’s fully focused on his recovery,” Slot said.
“We’ve never been focused on those talks. For Mo and Virg, the focus is on winning the Merseyside derby. For Trent, it is on being fit as soon as he can.”
Asked if the reports affect him, Slot added: “No, it is a situation that is there for eight months and all these three players have performed so well under these circumstances. It doesn’t affect me at all.”
