Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has said his vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold is not disturbed by the growing speculation around his future at the Premier League club and is fully focused on matters on the pitch.
The 26-year-old England right-back has been linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid with his Liverpool contract running out at the end of the season. Alexander-Arnold last month said his contract situation will not be played out in public.
Having come through the ranks at Anfield and captaining the club across its youth levels, Alexander-Arnold has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and the Club World Cup among other major honours since making his senior debut in 2016.
Captain Virgil van Dijk and winger Mohamed Salah are also out of contract at the end of the campaign.
“I think you underestimate our players. These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis, if they have contracts or not,” Slot told a news conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home clash against Chelsea.
“If you think they’re disturbed by this interest then you don’t do justice to how strong they are mentally. This is part of our job. This is part of this world we are living in. You just focus on what you have to do.
“Maybe if you’re 17 or 18 years of age it could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League; Virgil and Mo the same. I don’t think that is a problem for them to perform and that’s what we see at the moment because they’re playing really well.”
Liverpool, who top the Premier League table with 18 points from seven matches, will be without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker against Chelsea as he faces a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Slot said he expects the 32-year-old Brazil international to return before Christmas.
“But you never know. It is always difficult to know how an injury will go in the first stages, so we can answer that question better in two or three weeks’ time,” the Dutchman added.