Scholes questions whether Slot ‘likes’ Liverpool superstar as Reds formulate plan to fend off Real Madrid

Paul Scholes isn’t sure if new Liverpool boss Arne Slot likes Trent Alexander-Arnold as the full-back continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.

The 25-year-old undoubtedly ranks among the best full-backs in world football right now, but there is a question mark hanging over his long-term future.

Like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold’s existing contract with Liverpool is set to expire at the end of the season. While Liverpool are keen to keep him around, it’s no secret that Real Madrid are interested in his services.

In the Premier League so far, Alexander-Arnold has started in all three of Liverpool’s matches under Slot, although he has been substituted around the 75th minute in all three matches.

While Scholes is a fan of the Liverpool star, he isn’t fully convinced that Slot actually likes him after what he saw at Old Trafford.

“Do you think Slot likes him?” Scholes asked on The Overlap when discussing the 25-year-old.

“In the [Manchester United] game, every time [Trent] gave the ball away, he’s shaking his head, Slot. Kept looking away, turning round to his bench.

“Yeah and he kept shaking his head and turning round and I thought ‘f***ing hell, I’m not sure he likes him’.”

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Liverpool are confident of keeping him

It’s been well-documented that Real Madrid have been keeping tabs on Alexander-Arnold of late as they see him as a potential replacement for the experienced Dani Carvajal.

Given his star power and world class ability on the ball, the 25-year-old certainly fits the bill for what Real Madrid are usually looking for.

However, according to TBR Football , Liverpool’s hierarchy remains ‘confident’ over agreeing a new deal for the popular full-back.

It’s thought that a five-year contract is on the table for Alexander-Arnold to sign which would see him earn ‘more than’ £300k-a-week. That sort of wage packet would be in line with what Salah currently earns at the club.

The proposed deal would also reportedly make him the highest-paid Englishman in the Premier League. That accolade currently belongs to Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish who each earn around £300k-a-week at their respective clubs.

Jamie Carragher gives his take on the situation

While discussing Alexander-Arnold on The Overlap, Carragher explained how the Liverpool fanbase would react if the 25-year-old did decide to leave the club.

“I think his situation at Liverpool is really interesting,” Carragher said. “You’ve got three players and I always feel when you’re at Liverpool and you’re a local player, leaving the club – not that you want to leave the club – but leaving the club is difficult.

“So you’ve got three players in Van Dijk, Salah, and Trent, and I think the reaction of Liverpool’s supporters… say if one of them left, say Salah goes, I think most Liverpool fans would go, ‘you’re a legend, we got you for 40 million, look what you’ve done, you’re amazing, go and enjoy it’. And I think it would be the same for Van Dijk. With Trent it would be different.

“If you go through it, it happened to McManaman, when he went to Madrid there was no like ‘good luck, you’re going to the biggest club in the world’. It was a bit like, ‘who do you think you are? Going there for free’. Stevie [Gerrard] when he nearly went to Chelsea, there was a two-year period when the fans completely turned.

“Robbie [Fowler] at one stage when he was at his peak almost nearly went somewhere else. I think he (Alexander-Arnold) will be treated differently, and I think it was interesting when he came off in the first [home] game [against Brentford] and he was a little bit unhappy on the bench, even though Slot had only been there for two games, it was like ‘who do you think you are?'”

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Replacing Alexander-Arnold is practically impossible

While Liverpool do have Conor Bradley coming through the ranks, replacing a player like Alexander-Arnold would be practically impossible.

The 25-year-old has produced 81 assists in 313 appearances for the club. On average, he produces a goal contribution every 253 minutes which is some going considering he is technically a defender.

On the evidence of Liverpool’s opening three matches, it’s obvious that Slot uses his full-backs in a slightly different way to Jurgen Klopp, but that’s not to say that Alexander-Arnold won’t be as impactful.

So far this season, Tottenham’s Pedro Porro is the only defender who has produced more shot-creating actions (13) than Alexander-Arnold has up until this point (10).