Arne Slot didn't quite rule out that Trent Alexander-Arnold definitely wouldn't leave Liverpool this month — though the club is adamant amid interest from Real Madrid that it won't be cashing in — but he insisted that nothing would get in the way of his side's progress this season amid a Premier League title tilt.

"If it would destabilize players at Liverpool if other people talk about them, then we would really have a problem," Slot said during his press conference earlier. "It is one of the biggest clubs in the world so it happens so many times for our players! There were some talks about our players in the last six months and I don't think that destabilized them at all.

"I can tell you that [Alexander-Arnold] is playing on Sunday. Hopefully he brings the same performances as the last half-year. Everyone can see how much he wants to win here. He is fully committed to us."

READ MORE: Arne Slot names hidden benefit Liverpool is getting from contract drama

READ MORE: Ruud van Nistelrooy's meeting with Arne Slot after Liverpool game irritated staff

• Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Alexander-Arnold double demand, Dani Olmo race, Zubimendi U-turn

• Mohamed Salah makes 'confrontational' Arne Slot admission and names main Liverpool aim this season

There is no reason to think anything other than that being true. Alexander-Arnold is inside the final few months of his Liverpool contract and the temptations of Real Madrid are obvious but if he is close to a decision one way or the other, he is showing no signs of it. Up to now, it has been business as usual.

Leaving mid-season would see the right-back pass up the chance to win the Premier League and the Champions League again before the campaign ends. For that reason, heading for the exit door in the winter would surely not be something the player would think about, with Liverpool of no mind to let him go anyway.

Right now, Alexander-Arnold's performances continue to be relatively strong. Defensively, as Slot pointed out, he appears to have gotten better this season — and he scored against West Ham last weekend, albeit via a deflection. Some of his passing remains a privilege to watch, and there is no full-back like him.

All the while, though, there remains a feeling that Liverpool could probably do without it all dragging on. Yes, Alexander-Arnold is still playing well — and he will start, no problem at all, against Manchester United this Sunday — but as his side moves towards a potential Premier League title and is alive in every other competition too, there will be no room for distractions.

It might not be a distraction now, as Slot insisted, but there is the potential for the Liverpool contract situations to become an even greater talking point than they already are in the coming months. In the case of Alexander-Arnold specifically, Real Madrid is not exactly known for conducting itself quietly and Liverpool could yet play Los Blancos again in Europe before the summer.

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, in the same situation contract-wise as Alexander-Arnold, are different. They appear keen to stay, with any decision based on coming to an agreement with Liverpool rather than them deciding if they might want to leave. They are also going to face less scrutiny than Alexander-Arnold will if he departs, rightly or wrongly, because they are not local players who came through the academy system.

In each case, there is the potential for distraction but none more so than Alexander-Arnold because of the circumstances outlined above. There is a clear destination for him if he does leave, and as a homegrown talent, that would come with animosity.

At risk of going around in circles, it is tricky. Liverpool has left each of the three major contracts until late in the day and negotiations were never likely to be easy. But equally, it cannot afford for things to drag on for much longer as the magnitude of each game grows.

Slot might insist that nothing has distracted his players so far and therefore it won't in the future either, but the closer to the end of the season it gets without movement on that front, the more there will be consternation among fans. It is only natural, too, given being out of contract in June is far more prescient in February, March or April than in September.

If Alexander-Arnold is staying then it would be in everyone's interests to make that public as quickly as possible. If he is going, the timing on when that is confirmed is going to be fascinating. Slot might insist it isn't a distraction, but it's certainly something he could do without.