Arne Slot vows that Liverpool “will generate new stars” in the wake of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Anfield this summer
Arne Slot, head coach of Liverpool(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Arne Slot has vowed that Liverpool “will generate new stars” in the wake of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s end-of-season exit.
And Slot says the vice captain’s departure will harden the resolve of everyone at Anfield to make it as difficult as possible for more players to leave.
Alexander-Arnold, who informed Slot of his choice in March, publicly confirmed on Monday that he would be seeking pastures new when his contract expires on June 30 and Real Madrid are currently in talks with the Reds over releasing the defender earlier from his terms to enable him to play in the Club World Cup in the United States next month.
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Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk penned new two-year contracts last month before Alexander-Arnold’s news became public on May 5 and Ibrahima Konate is another whose contract situation is the subject of debate, with the France international heading into the final 12 months of his own deal.
A resolution does not appear imminent but Slot says everyone at Liverpool needs to make it as tough as possible for players to want to leave Anfield, as he likened Alexander-Arnold’s exit to when Kevin Keegan was replaced by Sir Kenny Dalglish in 1977, before the Scot went on to become arguably the greatest player in the club’s history.
“What we have to do as a football club is make it so hard for a player to want to leave and nine out of 10 players don’t want to leave this football club,” Slot said. “The moment someone does decide to leave this football club it should be really hard for them to leave, and I think that’s what Trent said.
“That’s the only thing we can do, make it as hard as possible to leave this football club. That’s not only me as a manager, but our fans and everyone who is involved in this club.
“Players want to be here and we can focus on the one who is leaving or the one or two who have left before, or we can focus on the fact how special it is that Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk do extend their contracts here again and want to be here longer.
“I’ve left former clubs where I was very happy as well, but that wasn’t at the elite level where I am working at now. Trent is not the first and won’t be the last one to leave a special club. Players from Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool sometimes go somewhere else.
“What is important for me is that it was really hard for him to leave this club. We as a club did everything we could to keep him here and then we have to accept his decision.”
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Slot added: “As a human being you can maybe understand that he wants a new challenge because, if he is so many years in the same league, some players then want to experience something else.
“Mo Salah and Virgil are playing here just as long or maybe even longer and they want to extend. It’s up to every individual himself. I’m the type of human being who can understand a lot of arguments.
“That’s not to say I would make the same choice. But I can understand people’s thoughts. I also understood throughout a long period that it was a really difficult decision for him.
“That was the main thing for me, that it was really hard for him to leave this special club. Not only because of all the special things he did here but also the way he could train and work here.
“Of course. It is a disappointment for the fans, team-mates, for me that he is leaving. We are going to miss in my opinion a very good human being and a very, very, very good full back. We tried to keep him here.
“If that does not work him out, of course you are disappointed. There were quite a lot of questions of me replacing Jurgen and there were so many examples of people leaving this club. Kevin Keegan left, Kenny Dalglish arrived, we all felt disappointed, we felt sad, but we always know this club will generate new stars again.”