Arne Slot says one of his Liverpool stars in contract stand-off has 'room for improvement'
Arne Slot says one of his Liverpool stars in contract stand-off has 'room for improvement'
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When it comes to talking about Trent Alexander-Arnold with Arne Slot, the ‘C’ word is off-limits. “We don’t talk about contracts in here,” laughs the Liverpool boss in a small room at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby. But Slot is willing to talk about his vice-captain’s determination to leave ‘a legacy’ and about Alexander-Arnold’s inconsistency. The England defender is one of three marquee Liverpool names - along with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk - who, as things stand, will be able to leave Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the season.
And while Slot would clearly love Alexander-Arnold to stay, he is not afraid to give a frank and honest appraisal of the 26-year-old’s form this season. The Dutchman says: “He’s done well but I still see with him ups and downs, during games or in between games.
“His performances against (Manchester) City and Newcastle, when he came in, were incredible. But I don’t think he reached the same level against Fulham. We are all trying to find a certain consistency in our performances. He has gotten better at this but still has room for improvement.”.
A few days ago, Alexander-Arnold talked about ‘building a legacy … on a personal level’, explaining: “In 10 or 15 years, if I'm spoken about as one of the best right backs or the best right back then that's what I'm playing for now and using it as motivation.”.
And Slot loves that sort of attitude, saying: “I definitely like this in a player. I think this is something every player must have if you play at this level. If you don’t have this you probably don’t play at this level - as long as they understand that they need the team to be special as an individual.
