- Liverpool rejected Real Madrid’s £20million approach for Trent Alexander-Arnold
- Days later, the Reds right-back endured one of his worst performances ever
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts! New formation, some new faces, but the optimism is gone at Old Trafford
Trent Alexander-Arnold will not start for Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at Tottenham tonight.
The England right-back, left out by 21-year-old star Conor Bradley, put in one of his worst performances in a Liverpool shirt on Sunday as his side drew 2-2 with bitter rivals Manchester United at Anfield.
His poor performance came just days after Real Madrid made a £20million bid for the Liverpool star, who is out of contract this summer and still weighing up his future on Merseyside.
The £20 million offer, which Madrid had hoped would take Alexander-Arnold to the Santiago Bernabeu immediately rather than forcing them to wait until the summer before his contract expired, was rejected by the Reds.
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, whose Liverpool deals are also set to expire this summer, have been named in Arne Slot’s starting XI to face Tottenham.
The two, unlike Alexander-Arnold, have been praised for their performances in a Liverpool shirt of late, despite their respective futures being questioned.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will not start for Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final tonight
Conor Bradley was selected to start in place of the England right-back against Tottenham
Arne Slot has thrown him out of the line of fire after his terrible performance against Man United
The Carabao Cup offers Slot’s first chance to find success at Anfield after the Dutchman took over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season.
Slot’s Liverpool sit at the top of the Premier League with a six-point lead and a game in hand over second-place Arsenal, while also occupying top spot in the Champions League group stages.
The Dutchman’s decision to drop Alexander-Arnold could be as much a reason to take him out of the spotlight as his poor performance against United as he was given the opportunity a barrage of abuse at Anfield and online on Sunday.
He gave the ball away to Lisandro Martinez which led to the first goal of the match for the Red Devils and was later substituted after failing to win a single game.
Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele heard a fan shout ‘if you don’t want to be here Trent, f*** off’ after Martinez’s goal in the 52nd minute.
To make matters worse, Roy Keane criticized the England star for his ‘schoolboy’ defense and then Slot was forced to dismiss suggestions that his links with Real Madrid had affected his performances.
Several Liverpool fans would argue that Alexander-Arnold has had a strong season so far after registering five assists for Liverpool and rejoining England.
But the right-back risks tarnishing his Liverpool legacy with duller performances if he ultimately decides to sign for the LaLiga giants.
The defender conceded possession for United’s first goal in the 2-2 draw at Anfield
Roy Keane joked that he would be better off going to Tranmere Rovers after ‘childish’ defending
After Sunday’s Premier League clash, Reds legend Jamie Carragher suggested that Alexander Arnold or his representatives had encouraged Real Madrid to bid for him in the January transfer window.
He claimed that the Spanish club would never have made an offer unless they had received some form of assurance that the star would be interested in joining.
‘They are bullies, Real Madrid. My problem with it is that they have bid on the back of Trent Alexander-Arnold or his agent and are saying “make an offer”. Because they wouldn’t make a bid, they wouldn’t do that unless they get the go-ahead,” Carragher told the Gary Neville Podcast last week.
‘But all those parties know that Liverpool will reject that anyway, so what are you trying to create? What sound are you trying to make? Liverpool will not sell Trent for a league title in January.
‘What I’m saying is: let’s not be naive here. No one makes an offer now unless he has already discussed it with the player. If it is accepted, would you come? People know before they bid. And there have clearly been conversations.”