Trent Alexander-Arnold's phone call with Arne Slot revealed amid Real Madrid transfer links

Liverpool's new coach Arne Slot wasted no time in speaking to Trent Alexander-Arnold . He was on the phone to the vice-captain before the Euros had even begun .

For the most part, Slot took a relatively hands-off approach to his first month in charge, allowing his players to concentrate on international football. But the ECHO reports that he spoke to a few key figures, calling Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Darwin Nunez to get their perspectives.

That Nunez call is certainly intriguing. But amid transfer links to Real Madrid , the content of the phone conversation with Alexander-Arnold is perhaps of most interest to Liverpool fans, who are desperately hoping not to lose their Academy graduate and talisman.

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Encouragingly, Alexander-Arnold has reportedly detailed his commitment to the cause "explicitly". He intends to make a fast start upon returning to the Liverpool camp after his break — where he has been out and about with Jude Bellingham — and he and Slot have both briefly outlined their plans to one another.

In his first press conference, Slot confirmed that he had specific plans for both Alexander-Arnold and Cody Gakpo , but declined to share them. Both have been the subject of positional debates, especially in light of the Euros.

Gareth Southgate tried to use Alexander-Arnold as a midfielder, but quickly abandoned the experiment. The Liverpool star then played a criminally small role in the latter stages, not getting off the bench as England fell to a deserved defeat in the final.

We'll be waiting a little while yet to find out Slot's plans for Alexander-Arnold. The vice-captain is on a break after the Euros, and is not expected to return in time to link up with the Reds in the USA.

As such, the first friendly where he could play a part comes at Anfield against Sevilla, six days before the Premier League season gets underway. It could be a race to have Alexander-Arnold involved for that trip to Ipswich.

But it's a huge relief to hear that he intends to be at Liverpool for at least another season. However, with Real Madrid not going anywhere and able to negotiate over a free transfer in just over five months, sorting a new contract is of the highest priority.

Liverpool.com says: A promising update, if not a decisive one. The big worry was always that free transfer threat, although it's obviously good that Slot will be able to rely on Alexander-Arnold in his debut campaign.

It's encouraging, too, that the pair have been in touch. Hopefully, they can quickly build up a working relationship, further convincing Alexander-Arnold to stay put for the long haul and reject any Real Madrid overtures.