Soon-to-be out of contract Trent Alexander-Arnold is the subject of heavy interest from Real Madrid, who have already seen a bid for the England international rejected by Liverpool
Soon-to-be out of contract Trent Alexander-Arnold is the subject of heavy interest from Real Madrid, who have already seen a bid for the England international rejected by Liverpool Soon-to-be out of contract Trent Alexander-Arnold is the subject of heavy interest from Real Madrid, who have already seen a bid for the England international rejected by Liverpool
Arne Slot has urged Trent Alexander-Arnold to emulate Steven Gerrard by turning his back on Real Madrid to become a true Liverpool legend.
Slot insists Alexander-Arnold’s proposed move to the Bernabeu is NOT a done deal after the Premier League leaders rejected a £20million offer from the European champions to sign the England international this month.
The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season – and is now free to talk to Real about joining them for them for free in the summer. Alexander-Arnold would bank a £100million signing-on fee and double his wages towards £400,000-a-week by moving to Spain at the end of the season.
But Slot refuses to accept that Madrid always get their top targets – and has told Alexander-Arnold to remember how Gerrard secured his place as an Anfield great by rejecting the chance to become a Galactico in 2008.
Slot said: “I think there was one player (Gerrard) Real Madrid would have really love to have signed – but he didn’t go. So it has happened. These questions about Trent are all ‘if, if if.’ My answer is that he’s with us and his full focus is with us.
“He is in almost everyone’s team of the year for the first-half of the season. That shows how much he’s here at the moment. That’s the only answer I can give you. For me, there’s no distraction at all and I don’t see any distraction with Trent either.
“Simply look at his performances and how he trains. I see him train every day and he’s not getting distracted at all. It’s the same with Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah.
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“And all the others because, if you play at a club like this, every player is probably in the interest of someone. That’s part of football and that’s why we’re not distracted by it.”
Both Van Dijk and Salah are also out of contract and Liverpool remain hopeful that they can convince both to sign new deals as they look to close out the Premier League title in the second half to the season.
But losing West Derby-born Alexander Arnold would be a huge blow – and seeing him join Madrid for free would only add to the agony. As ‘the Scouser in the team’ it would also damage his reputation with the fans.
Gerrard was faced with the same dilemma when Madrid made a move to sign him in 2008. He had already twice turned down Chelsea – and his decision to stay at his boyhood club for 17 years added to his huge legacy.
Gerrard recently said: “I had offers from Real Madrid and Chelsea, but my heart was always with Liverpool and I never regretted my decision.”
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