It seems that the noise surrounding Liverpool's future and the possibility of joining Real Madrid is directly affecting Trent Alexander-Arnold's form. The 2-2 draw against Manchester United showed that the English defender is the weakest link in coach Arne Slot's squad.
The 26-year-old's contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season. Arnold is now free to negotiate with teams outside England on a free transfer in the summer. Arnold's contract situation prompted Real to approach Liverpool last week about the possibility of a transfer of this player. However, it is understandable that the "Red Brigade" rejected the proposal of the Spanish team.
While Arnold's attacking quality remains a key factor for Liverpool, Slot has become increasingly concerned about the right-back's defensive style. Simply put, the England international played poorly against Man United.
In the first two rounds, Dalot defeated Arnold relatively easily. The same thing happened in the next 45 minutes, and both of Man United's goals originated from Arnold's wing.
"We talked about how great Arnold plays offensively, but today he defended, Oh my god, like a kid game," legend Roy Keane told Sky Sports.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk angrily shouted at Arnold for a lack of concentration. However, after that, the "Red Devils" continuously "claimed" the position of the 26-year-old defender and gave him a day to forget.
Arnold's performance has been so bad that with Conor Bradley now healthy and fit to play after an injury, Slot may want to change before the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham.
In fact, Bradley came on as a replacement for Arnold in the final period of the draw with Man United. And if Arnold does not improve his form soon, Liverpool can reconsider when Real Madrid contact him.
With Slot, the Dutch strategist still stood up to defend his student against the wave of criticism: "It's clear that Arnold had some difficult moments, like us as a team. But that was not the first time he had to deal with days like this.
I think in most of the games he plays for Liverpool, he is very, very good. However, days like this may have happened before, and mainly against quality players like Man United."
