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Trent Alexander-Arnold has already told Arne Slot what it will take for him to stay at Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool walking onto the pitch before the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield on September 21, 2024 in Liverpool, England.
-Credit: (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)


Liverpool has enjoyed a strong start to the season, but the elephant in the room is getting ever harder to ignore. As September seeps into October, three major contract situations still remain unresolved — although Trent Alexander-Arnold has already told Arne Slot what it will take to keep him at Anfield.

It's potentially unfortunate, albeit not surprising, that the players with the expiring deals have been the pillars of the excellent early going under Slot. Mohamed Salah has been prolific, Virgil van Dijk has been imperious, but perhaps none have shone as brightly as Alexander-Arnold.

Against Bournemouth at the weekend, he finally got a league goal involvement to show for his efforts, having seen a strike against Manchester United chalked off. But the single assist is far from the whole story, with the Academy graduate running the show at times this season.

Alexander-Arnold gave reporters a crumb of insight recently. He reaffirmed his commitment to Liverpool for the remainder of this season, but also confirmed that discussions over a new deal would not be played out in the public arena — he reminded those assembled that he has signed plenty of extensions before, and that they have never involved a media circus.

Having said that, he still gave plenty away over his current state of mind. For instance, he revealed that trophies will be the main factor as he decides on where he wants to be playing his football next season and beyond.

In other words, the onus is on Slot to prove that he is capable of leading Liverpool to silverware — ideally even more than Jurgen Klopp delivered. But that's not the only thing the Dutchman must do, even though that task is already plenty daunting enough.

Alexander-Arnold explained that he has already spoken to Slot about what he wants from their time together. He has urged his coach to be "harsh", inviting him to single out every mistake and push him on to new heights.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield on September 21, 2024 in Liverpool, England.
Arne Slot has a critical role to play in securing Alexander-Arnold's future at Liverpool. -Credit:Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

"We talked about targets and aims and I said to [Slot] that I want to be the defender that no one wants to come up against in Europe," Alexander-Arnold said. "We agreed that he will be harsh on me and every time anyone gets past me, he will call it out in meetings and say this can't happen.

"We go through every game together and where he wants me to improve. From the Milan game, we had about 20 clips of what could have gone better. It's really refreshing to have a manager who will help and guide and teach me how to be better as a player and I'm someone who wants to learn and strive to be the best ever."

It sounds as though Slot and Alexander-Arnold have got off on the right foot. But the high standards will need to continue if Liverpool wants to avoid the doomsday scenario of losing its star player and vice-captain for nothing in the summer, with foreign clubs just months away from being able to negotiate.

The timescales at play mean Slot really does not have much time to sufficiently prove that Alexander-Arnold can achieve all of his remaining goals at Liverpool. But while it will be hard to pull off, the coach has at least been put on notice over what he needs to do.

Liverpool.com says: A new deal for Alexander-Arnold isn't entirely within Slot's control. Money might not be the main motivator, but the club will still need to put together an appropriate package.

But you do get the sense that Alexander-Arnold won't even come to the table unless he feels Liverpool is the best place for him to win more silverware and keep developing as an individual. In that sense, the onus is on Slot to do his part in delivering the contract extension the fans most crave.