Arne Slot and Trent Alexander-Arnold
Image Credits: Getty Images
Arne Slot has seemingly revealed that Trent Alexander-Arnold told him about his Liverpool exit way earlier than what has been reported.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to wear the Liverpool shirt for the final time against Crystal Palace, bringing an end to his two-decade journey with the club.
However, his farewell is overshadowed by underlying tensions and divided loyalties among the fanbase.
After Monday’s defeat to Brighton, cameras caught the 26-year-old vice-captain looking tense and unsettled as he applauded the travelling supporters. His discomfort was clear, fueling speculation online about his state of mind during these closing days at Anfield.
While a section of fans have turned against the homegrown defender, others insist his years of service deserve a respectful and dignified goodbye.
Now Arne Slot, speaking in his pre-Crystal Palace press conference, has revealed that Trent Alexander-Arnold told him in pre-season already that he was leaving “either way”:
“I speak to Trent every day and combined with winning something together, creates a different bond with him. He was in my office a lot in pre-season as well, for other reasons, now he is in my office again.”
“I said a few things in pre-season why he was in my office at the beginning…He said it himself: ‘he is going to leave either way, so why not say: I wasn’t completely happy with every single minute he was on the training ground, he could do a bit more.'”
“To say it mildly and that is what we talked about.”
“I said to him you are a much better defender than everyone tells you and you don’t show it all the time, this is a part of your game you need to improve but if you are at it and concentrated, not a lot can get around him. It is about showing that every game. ”
Los Blancos still need to offer a compensation fee to the Anfield club to allow the 26-year-old to play at the Club World Cup.
Reports focused on a compensation fee, estimated between £850,000 and £1 million, which would cover Alexander-Arnold’s June wages and enable his registration during FIFA’s special pre-tournament window from June 1 to June 10.
However, Real Madrid are yet to formalize a formal offer for the 26-year-old as things stand.
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