Slot urges fans not to show negative emotions toward Alexander-Arnold when Liverpool hosts Arsenal

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool manager Arne Slot is urging fans to not show any negative emotions toward Trent Alexander-Arnold against Arsenal on Sunday in the team's first match since the England international's announcement he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season.

Alexander-Arnold has acknowledged his decision to leave will “anger” some Liverpool supporters, who might feel unhappy he has run down his contract and not allowed the club to get any money for one of its star assets.

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Slot said he was “not here to tell the fans how they should react” but doesn't want any anti-Alexander-Arnold sentiment affecting the already-crowned Premier League champion's final matches of the season.

“I think we are all disappointed,” Slot said in a news conference Friday, "but Trent is the first one also who said that he would prefer us as a team and us as a club not to be too much distracted by this announcement.

“So I am hoping that all the energy on Sunday goes to the players and to the support of our fans and as less as possible to Trent. Unless it is positive and then they can do whatever they want.”

Slot said Conor Bradley is likely to start ahead of Alexander-Arnold at right back against Arsenal.

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And the manager wouldn't comment directly on the possibility of Alexander-Arnold heading to Real Madrid — his widely reported next destination — ahead of the Club World Cup starting in mid-June, though he did drop a hint.

“Do you know where he is going?” Slot said with a smile. "He hasn't said anything about it himself — the only thing he has said is that he's going to leave the club.

“For me it's impossible to comment on where he is going and if that is a club that's going to play in the Club World Cup — you see on my smile that we both know where he is going to but it hasn't been said yet — so that’s impossible for me to comment on.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer