Trent Alexander-Arnold shone in Liverpool's 5-0 thrashing of West Ham on Sunday evening, just hours after reports in Spain suggested he has agreed to sign for Real Madrid next summer.

The right-back put in a sublime showing as Arne Slot's Reds dominated the Hammers at the London Stadium, and capped off his performance with a screamer in the second half.

His celebration was a pointed nod to the Madrid rumors, as Alexander-Arnold put his hand to his ear to indicate how little attention he pays to the outside noise. And in a cryptic post on social media, Alexander-Arnold further stoked the flames of the speculation, as he posted a picture of himself whispering in the ear of Mohamed Salah on his Instagram page.

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The Egyptian King is also out of contract in the summer and said after the game that he was not close to announcing an extension, putting the pressure back on the club after previously admitting in public that he'd had no offer from Anfield bosses.

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The two - along with center-back Virgil van Dijk, who is believed to be closer on agreeing a new deal - are free to talk to non-English clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement in just three days, though there's no indication of that happening.

While the rumors of a Madrid move won't go away, Alexander-Arnold has always insisted he'll do his talking on the pitch and won't be making any public statements.

When asked about Alexander-Arnold's future, Slot was unwilling to give anything away, and was asked whether the speculation around his future was harming the team

“I don't think it's negative at all,” Slot said. “He [Alexander-Arnold] scored a great goal, the way he celebrated that goal tells you enough. I don't think I have to say much more about it. I'm really happy with Trent, just as happy as I am with Mo and Virgil, so for me there's no difference. Maybe in the outside world but I'm really happy with all three.

“[In January] People will be talking more about it, not only about these three but also about other players, it's always a month where players can make a transfer.

“So it won't just be about these three but it will also be about the players we could bring in, or ones who could also leave. That's always the thing with summer and January.”