Liverpool’s Arne Slot Gives 'No Guarantees' Real Madrid Target Trent Alexander-Arnold Will Stay In January
Arne Slot has provided a fresh update on the future of Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold amid ongoing speculation over his contract issue.
READ MORE: Liverpool Star Mohamed Salah Provides Shocking Negative Update On Contract Talks In Recent Interview
The Premier League leaders take on bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday as they look to continue their title charge however the week has been dominated by news that Real Madrid are keen on signing Alexander-Arnold this month.
The Reds turned down an approach from the Spanish giants for the right-back on New Year's Eve. Liverpool have no interest in selling the England international during the January transfer window.
Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at the end of the season and is now free to speak to foreign clubs about joining as a free agent in the summer. Slot's side have offered him a new deal and talks remain ongoing as Liverpool remain hopeful of reaching an agreement with the 26-year-old.
Speaking ahead of Man United's game at Anfield, Arne Slot could not guarantee that Alexander-Arnold will remain a Liverpool player this month.
READ MORE:Ruben Amorim Confirms Key Manchester United Player Will Miss Premier League Clash Against Liverpool
"I am convinced that Trent is playing for us on Sunday and I think it is so difficult in football to talk about what happens in a month or in six months," Slot said. "You can also ask me the question: ‘Are you convinced that Virgil (van Dijk) and Mo (Salah) are here next season?’
"So in football, it's such a difficult question to answer because there is hardly any long term in football, especially not for a manager. So your only focus is on the short term. The only thing I do know is that he is fully focused and ready to play for us on Sunday and as long as he is here.
"I don't think I need to tell our fans how to react because they have always been so supportive and have been supporting their team and their players for so, so many years. So I don't think they need me to tell them how to react and I fully trust them that they will react in the right manner because we've been constantly together in the half-year that I have been here.
READ MORE:Mohamed Salah's Liverpool Contract Extension Could Be Announced ‘In The Next Few Days
"And I think that is something that stands out here that, for so many years, the team and the fans have been together. That has created so many special games and so many special things for this club that they don't need me to tell them how they should react.
"Does constant speculation overshadow the performances on the pitch? No, maybe it's even helpful now you ask me. Because if it is only about how great we are doing then maybe every week I have to have a meeting telling the players it is not perfect yet and we have to do better and now maybe it is also about different things [in the press] and not everyone is telling them how great they are, so sometimes that can help as well.
"But for me it doesn't distract at all, I think we get enough credit for the way we play and here in the building we don't even talk about this [speculation]. Maybe in the building we do, but me with the players, we don't talk about these situations.
"It doesn't distract at all, it is part of the business we're in and it happens at every club at this moment. In the month of January it happens at every club in the world, people talk about: 'Will he come in? Will he go away?'
"This is part of the business we're in. It doesn't distract me at all and I don't think for the players either. I don’t think the players I have worked that was ever a Barcelona or a Real Madrid or teams like that interested in them but for the clubs that worked there were players that were in the interest of clubs that were bigger than Feyenoord now – that is not to say that Real Madrid is bigger than Liverpool, let that be clear.
"So it is a normal situation for a manager that there is interest in your players. That is an important sentence, interest in your players. So that you know you can handle the situations with interest in your players but that is not only for Trent, it is for more players.
"In the beginning of the season there was also interest in one or two players from us, maybe to go on a loan or something like that so you talk to your players about that and you leave it mostly, mostly to Richard (Hughes, sporting director) and the agent and my main relationship with the player is what I expect from him on the pitch and it is where most of the conversations go about."
READ MORE: Inter Milan, Napoli And Atalanta Hold Firm Interest In Liverpool Player
LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli