Liverpool head coach Arne Slot disagreed with the idea that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s lacklustre display in his team’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United came as a result of speculation linking the full-back with a move to Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold, alongside teammates Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, is out of contract at the end of the season and sources have told ESPN he is Madrid’s top defensive target following a long-term injury to right-back Dani Carvajal.
The Spanish club approached Liverpool about signing the 26-year-old in the January window earlier this week, but sources told ESPN Madrid’s advances were swiftly rebuffed by the Premier League leaders.
Slot insisted ahead of Sunday’s clash with United that Alexander-Arnold remains “fully-committed” to Liverpool, however the defender struggled against a spirited United side at Anfield, with both of the visitors’ two goals coming down his flank.
Liverpool’s manager, though, was quick to shut down claims that Alexander-Arnold has let the noise surrounding his future affect him, and said it was United’s quality that made it a difficult afternoon for the right-back.
“I don’t believe in those things,” Slot said in his post-match news conference. “I think nine out of 10 people will tell you that it affected him, but I’m one of the 10 that tells you I don’t think that affected him.
