Liverpool: Arne Slot reveals Trent Alexander-Arnold talks amid Real Madrid transfer interest | OneFootball

England defender heavily criticised for performance against Manchester United

Liverpool manager Arne Slot insists no one bothers to mention contract issues when his team are winning.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was criticised for a poor performance in Sunday's 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United, just days after Real Madrid made an approach for the 26-year-old whose current deal expires in the summer.

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are in similar positions but Alexander-Arnold, an academy graduate and one of their most valuable assets, has found the spotlight focused firmly on him of late.

Even Salah's social media exchange with former Reds defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher on Monday over his own situation was not viewed in the same context, despite the Egypt forward being actively involved in generating more headlines.

But Slot insisted results determine reactions as no-one makes a fuss when his team win, and he feels the players deserve some credit for the level of consistency they are producing - the team are top of the Premier League and Champions League - despite uncertainty over their futures.

"What I do know this season, all the points and all the results we got this season are deserved," the Dutchman said.

"All the players are fit at the moment but if we drop points when we have injuries, people say it is because you have injuries.

Arne Slot is backing Trent Alexander-Arnold

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"If we drop points when Mo misses a penalty against (Real) Madrid, he is distracted by his contract situation. If Trent has not his best performance, he is distracted by the contract situation.

"If they play really well nobody tells me, 'That's because they have a contract situation'.

"We always try to find arguments but nine out of 10 times the best argument is the quality of the team you face or the game-plan the other team has."

Slot said he had spoken to Alexander-Arnold about his sub-standard display against United, but that was not out of the ordinary and he had cause to speak to a number of players.

Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Tottenham provides an immediate chance for the England international to prove Sunday was a one-off if, as expected, he starts in the capital.

"I think it will benefit every player that we had a disappointing result," Slot said. "Every player wants to play two days later again - but every player who was not on the pitch would love to play (on Wednesday) as well.

"That's the good thing, they all want to play. Almost all are fit, that is special at this time of the season, and I would also highlight that these players show up every three days.

"I think we were all disappointed, not only Trent, by the way we played, first of all by the result.

"Parts of the game we could be quite satisfied with, other parts we were not completely happy with. That was not only Trent, there were more things in the game we could have done better.

"Trent did not play his best game, I've said that already, but it is not the first time in his life he didn't play the best game of his career.

"He has played so many games well for this club, now it wasn't his best - like some others it wasn't the best game - but we just pick it up and start training again.

"These players know, if you play 50-60 games in a season, once in a while you don't have your best performance.

"Maybe we should highlight more how good it is these players every three days can play such a good game."

Slot is waiting to see if midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is fit enough to return to training after missing Sunday with illness, although even if he is he will not start against Spurs.

He also declined to confirm second-choice goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who has been a mainstay in this competition over the last few years, would start.