Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot expressed his disappointment over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s choice to leave the team this summer, but he believes the Reds will adjust after his exit.
Alexander-Arnold, who is likely moving to Real Madrid for free, shared his decision to leave Liverpool in a statement on Monday. Reports from March indicated that Madrid is ‘very optimistic’ about signing the England star, although nothing has been officially agreed upon yet. Having joined Liverpool’s academy at just six years old, Alexander-Arnold has made over 350 appearances for the club and has won eight major trophies. It was revealed that the defender turned down a contract offer at Anfield that would have made him one of the highest-paid full-backs in the world.
As a Liverpool supporter, I feel a sense of disappointment with his departure; we are not just losing a remarkable person, but also an exceptional full-back, Slot said in a conference.
When I worked for teams like Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar in the past, I became used to seeing great players go every season. In my experience and what I’ve seen at this club, when a great player leaves another really good player usually comes in to take their place and I expect this pattern to continue.
It was reported that Real Madrid wants Alexander-Arnold to join them for the Club World Cup this summer, and real Madrid are planning to discuss the possibility of releasing him from his contract earlier than originally planned with Liverpool.
Slot didn’t want to go into details, but he said: “Do you know where Trent is headed? He hasn’t shared anything about it. All he’s said is that he plans to leave the club, so I can’t really say where he might end up or if it’ll be a team in the Club World Cup. My smile suggests we both have a clue about where he’s going, but it’s remains.
In response to questions about Alexander-Arnold’s departure, Slot shared: “It’s no secret that opinions about us is bound to be made, whether it’s about Trent, myself, or others in our field. For Trent, the feedback has been a bit harsher than what he’s used to, but I don’t keep tabs on all of it. I’m not here to tell fans how to feel. I’ll be seeing Trent soon, and the players have had a few days to recharge. I’ll gauge how he feels about his decision to leave the club. I did reach out to him on WhatsApp, but let’s hold off on conclusions for now. I think we all feel a sense of disappointment, but Trent was the first to remind us not to let this news distract the club and the team. I truly hope we can keep our attention on the players.”
Slot also confirmed that right-back Conor Bradley is expected to start in Liverpool’s Premier League match against Arsenal on Sunday, as the 21-year-old requires more playing time following a season marred by injuries.
“Let us not draw comparisons between Bradley and Trent,” Slot stated. They are two different kinds of players. With Conor, we can all see the talent he has. He is highly talented player, but unfortunately, he hasn’t kept up his fitness for the whole season. To evolve into an exceptional player, one must be available consistently each week. “This is the initial step he must take for the upcoming season, but we have great confidence in Conor as a capable full-back for Liverpool, which he has already shown.”
