Trent Alexander-Arnold’s professionalism impresses Arne Slot amid speculation | OneFootball

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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has praised the commitment shown by Trent Alexander-Arnold to return to fitness but offered no insight into whether the defender’s long-term future remained at the club.

The England right-back is out of contract in the summer and has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.

In the last week Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, who were also due to become free agents in June, have signed new two-year contracts but the position of Alexander-Arnold is less clear.

The 26-year-old has missed four matches with an ankle injury but is in contention for a place on the bench at Leicester on Sunday, when the Reds could clinch the title if Arsenal lose at Ipswich earlier in the day.

Slot said: “It’s nice that we have done two announcements and I can talk for that for hours.

“But if you want to talk for hours about Trent, it is the same answer: we don’t talk about these things that aren’t done yet and they aren’t and that’s why we don’t talk in public about the situation.

“Trent is coming back from an injury and trained with us yesterday. Every time he trained or played with us he showed his commitment and he has worked hard to be back already now.

“The moment he is on the pitch, he shows me what a great player he is and he has showed how hard he is trying to achieve our goals this season.

“He has worked so hard during the whole season and now in his rehab to be back with the team again.

“The fans and everyone who watched football for the last five, six, seven years knows he is an incredible full-back and has been an incredible full-back for this football club.

“Let’s see what the future brings.”

Slot believes securing Salah and Van Dijk is the start of the champions-elect’s squad strengthening process.

After last Sunday’s win over West Ham Van Dijk suggested the club had a big summer ahead in the transfer window and Slot accepts fresh faces are often helpful in bringing new energy.

But he does not believe it is a “necessity” to make significant changes.

“I think at Liverpool there is always a big summer and by already holding on to two (Salah and Van Dijk) it is already a big summer,” he said.

“Let’s see what the rest of the summer will bring but it would be strange for me to say now I am not happy with the team because I’ve said this for a year, we are happy with the team we are having.

“Maybe if we can keep that team it will already be a big summer.

“I think the core of the team you want to keep as long as you can together, as long as they are performing in the best possible way, but it is also in general good to have some new energy in and around the place with one or two players.