Trent Alexander-Arnold drops contract hint by admitting 'excitement' for Arne Slot's plan
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is enjoying working under new head coach Arne Slot and is "excited" by his plans, leaving fans hopeful that he will sign a new contract.
Alexander-Arnold has become one of the best players in his position and is one of Liverpool's most important players with fans ranking him alongside the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Ironically, all three players are out of contract at the end of the season, and extending those deals is a priority for Liverpool.
All three started in Liverpool's 3-1 win against AC Milan on Tuesday night, quickly moving on from Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest. Alexander-Arnold showed his class yet again by assisting Ibrahima Konate from a free kick, with Van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai also scoring after Christian Pulisic initially gave Milan the lead.
After the game, Alexander-Arnold spoke highly of Slot, and the head coach is expected to play a major part in his decision over whether to stay at Liverpool. "For me, it was just an excitement to work under a new manager that I've never had before," Alexander-Arnold said.
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"Having spoken to the manager, I was excited about the plans and the way they talk about it."
Alexander-Arnold has recently been of interest to Real Madrid, and his close friendship with midfielder Jude Bellingham has led to increased speculation.
Madrid signed Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer after the French forward ran down his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, and it's been suggested that the team may use the same tactic with Alexander-Arnold. Contract negotiations have remained extremely quiet, but according to the Liverpool Echo that's following a request by the defender who prefers to keep talks private.
Should Alexander-Arnold remain unsigned by January, he would be free to speak to foreign clubs and potentially sign a pre-contract agreement. However, in a previous interview with The Times, he said he wanted to spend his whole career with Liverpool.
"There is nowhere else I’d rather be than Liverpool. Somewhere I want to stay for the rest of my career is Liverpool," Alexander-Arnold said. "It’s what I’ve always dreamed of. Liverpool are special.
"It’s completely down to the fans. Whether we are winning or losing we always have their love. I want to become captain one day. That’s definitely a dream of mine.
"I hope with dedication, the right advice, and the hard work that still needs to be put in that one day I might achieve that dream of becoming captain, something that I and my family will be very proud of if it comes."