“I don’t think I have to say much more about it” - Arne Slot feels Alexander-Arnold sent message about Liverpool future in win over West Ham

Liverpool boss Arne Slot opened up about Trent Alexander-Arnold's celebration after Liverpool thrashed West Ham 5-0 in their last league game of the year on December 29. The win at the London Stadium took them to 45 points in 18 games, eight points ahead of second-placed Nottingham Forest.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was one of the ace players against The Hammers. The Liverpool Academy graduate was lethal in both attack and defense. In the 54th minute, he scored his first goal of the season for the Merseysiders, making it 4-0 against the home side.

While celebrating the goal, he made a signal towards fans that resembled a shushing gesture. Several fans and pundits construed it as Trent shutting down rumors linking him to a move to Real Madrid in 2025. Trent's current contract for The Reds expires next year and tabloids have strongly hinted at a potential move to Santiago Bernabeu next season.

Arne Slot opened up about his take on the right-back's celebration. The Dutch tactician was optimistic and further suggested that the media reports were just chatter. In a post-match interview, he said (via METRO):

"No, I don’t think it’s negative at all. He’s playing really well, scored a great goal and the way he celebrated his goal probably tells you enough. I don’t think I have to say much more about it."

In a YouTube video on his channel, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed that Real Madrid were interested in signing the Liverpool superstar. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold will not leave in January and finish the season with The Reds.

Talking about the summer of 2025, Romano explained that nothing had been decided by either the player or the two clubs as of writing.

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot opens up about the contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold

Manchester City v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg - Source: Getty

The contracts of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold expire in the summer of 2025, opening the possibility of Liverpool losing three of their frontmen simultaneously. According to their contract terms, the three superstars are open to discussing their potential future with other clubs from January.

When asked about the current situation with the three players, Arne Slot explained that he was content with their performance, on and off the field. The Dutch tactician mentioned:

"I’m really happy with Trent, just as happy as I am with Mo and with Virgil. So for me, there’s no difference. For the outside world, maybe there’s a bit more things happening around Trent in the media than with the other two but I’m happy with all three of them at the moment."

The Liverpool boss continued:

"I think I have a lot of control over what they do. If they’re on a training pitch, if they’re in a meeting with me, but talking about the private lives, I don’t have control about them. So that was the situation I have a year ago. There’s been a situation as long as I’m a manager, but I have control to a certain extent over them from what I expect from them on the pitch and I’m really pleased to see what Virgil brings, what Trent brings and what Mo brings."

Arne Slot joined The Reds after the departure of Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season. He has had a near-perfect start to life at Anfield so far, losing just one game in the entire season.