Steve McManaman has dismissed the “nonsense” surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract renewal talks at Liverpool.
The former Reds midfielder has hit back at those fuelling rumours of a summer exit for the star. Arne Slot’s side have enjoyed a positive season so far and currently sit atop both the Premier League and Champions League tables.
Yet, there has been an awful lot of uncertainty in regard to the futures of Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. The contracts of all three players are due to expire in the summer, with Alexander-Arnold linked with an audacious move to Real Madrid.
As the transfer saga continues to rumble on, McManaman, who played for Liverpool and Los Blancos, came to Alexander-Arnold’s defence.
Before Liverpool’s recent 1-1 away draw with surprise title chasers Nottingham Forest, ex-Liverpool player Peter Crouch questioned Slot live on TNT Sports about the potential for January signings given the current contract situation. Slot replied: “It doesn’t distract me at all, I am always focused on the next team we play and I get the same feeling with my players.
“They’re completely focused and dedicated to what we have to do. That is play here tonight instead of talking about transfers or contract situations.”
McManaman jokingly chided Crouch for his question, before being asked by presenter Jules Breach for his own take on the matter. Breach suggested that while Salah and Van Dijk are likely to stay, Alexander-Arnold could be the one to depart.
McManaman replied: “Why’d you say that? I don’t know the circumstances. At this very moment in time they’re all in the same situation.
“I’ve listened, I’ve heard a lot of nonsense about the Trent situation in various papers, podcasts, whatever people need to sell, and of course they don’t know the full story. If you keep commenting on every single situation nobody will end up listening to you. There is no gravitas to what you’ve got to say. You have to see how it pans out.”
McManaman had previously revealed that all three players were in renewal talks last October and expressed his hope that they would remain at Liverpool. Referring back to that observation, he said: “Liverpool fans – myself and Crouchy included – want them all to stay, but we don’t know their situations.
“We don’t know personally if anyone of them wants to leave, we don’t know if their wives are happy here or if their children are happy here. If the best teams in the world want these players it’s difficult.
“You have to sit down with your family and friends, your representatives, and say: ‘What stage am I at in my career? Do I want to leave Liverpool for a new challenge? Do I want to go to X or to Y? Or do I stay here’.
“We’ll wait and see but I think the three of them are incredible footballers and any team in the world will be lucky to have them.”
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