Liverpool boss Arne Slot responds when asked if Real Madrid links affected Trent Alexander-Arnold during sluggish display against Man United

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has refused to accept that the Real Madrid rumors caused Trent Alexander-Arnold's underwhelming display against Manchester United on Sunday (January 5). The two heavyweights of English football locked horns at Anfield in the Premier League, playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Both of the Red Devils' goals came from buildup play on Alexander-Arnold's side (right) of the pitch. The 26-year-old struggled to cope with the threat of Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes amid speculation about his future.

Alexander-Arnold's contract with the Reds expires in just under six months and he hasn't signed a new deal yet. The player remains heavily linked with Real Madrid, although Liverpool are locked in talks to tie him down to an extension.

Speaking after the game, Slot said Alexander-Arnold's misfortunes were due to Dalot and Fernandes' stellar performances.

“No, no I don’t think so (if the speculation got the better of him). I think Trent has played mostly very good games for this club. There probably have been games that he wasn’t on his best; today wasn’t his best game, but that probably had something to do with them as well," Slot said (via This Is Anfield).

He continued:

“Especially in the first half, sometimes Ryan wasn’t close enough to him, so he was sometimes in a two-vs-one situation as well. I would put it more on the performance of Dalot and Bruno Fernandes than it being down to Trent.”

Real Madrid reportedly want the Englishman as Dani Carvajal's long-term replacement.

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Are Liverpool eyeing a Real Madrid midfielder?

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool have apparently reignited their interest in Aurelien Tchouameni, according to Fichajes.net (via CaughtOffside). The Reds are long-term admirers of the French midfielder and attempted to sign him in the summer of 2022.

Tchouameni opted to join Real Madrid when he left Monaco that summer, arriving as Casemiro's replacement. However, Los Blancos feel the 24-year-old has failed to live up to expectations and are ready to let him go this year.

Liverpool are attentive to the situation and are apparently planning to move for him at the end of this season. The Reds wanted to sign a midfielder last summer but failed to secure their top targets.

The Merseyside club remain keen to bolster the position this year and want Tchouameni for the job. However, Liverpool will face competition from Manchester United and Chelsea for the Frenchman. Tchouameni is under contract with Real Madrid until 2028.