Liverpool's contract saga is helpful rather than a distraction, according to Arne Slot. The Reds are set to face arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday in their ongoing quest for the Premier League title.
However, the week has been overshadowed by reports of Real Madrid's interest in signing Trent Alexander-Arnold this month. The future of star players Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, whose contracts expire in the summer, has been as much a talking point as Liverpool's impressive season.
Slot, however, believes that the speculation surrounding the trio is helping to keep the hype about his players' performances at bay.
He said: "Maybe it's even helpful now you ask me. Because if it is only about how great we are doing then maybe every week I have to have a meeting telling the players it is not perfect yet and we have to do better and now maybe it is also about different things [in the press].
"Not everyone is telling them how great they are, so sometimes that can help as well. But for me it doesn't distract at all, I think we get enough credit for the way we play and here in the building we don't even talk about this [speculation]. Maybe in the building we do, but me with the players, we don't talk about these situations."
Alexander-Arnold, 26, will face the Anfield crowd tomorrow for the first time since Real’s move was made public, but Slot is not anticipating any negative reaction from the fans.
He said: "I don't think I need to tell our fans how to react because they have always been so supportive and have been and have been supporting their team and their players for so, so many years. So I don't think they need me to tell them how to react and I fully trust them that they will react in the right manner."
Slot also is not worried about Alexander-Arnold’s concentration ahead of the massive showdown at Anfield. He further stated: "I am convinced that he is playing for us on Sunday and I think it is so difficult in football to talk about what happens in a month or in six months.
"So in football, such a difficult question to answer because there is hardly any long term in football, especially not for a manager so your only focus is on the short term. The only thing I do know is that he is fully focused and ready to play for us on Sunday and as long as he is here."
