When Liverpool vice captain Trent Alexander-Arnold made his first appearance since announcing his end-of-season departure on Monday, the Anfield crowd let out loud jeers. With just under 25 minutes remaining, the No. 66, who had started on the bench for the trip to Arsenal, was added to a trio of substitutes that also included Darwin Nunez and Alexis Mac Allister.
Reds supporters in the stands were singing for Steven Gerrard before Alexander-Arnold arrived, and the right-back also serenaded Conor Bradley.
In order to send a strong message about Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave at the end of his contract, the Kop then sang a song that made disparaging references to Real Madrid, his future employers.
A portion of the Kop then loudly jeered the England international’s first actual touches during the match.
In March, Slot was informed by Alexander-Arnold that he had decided on his future and would be departing when his contract expired.
A social media video featuring the England international describing the decision as the most challenging of his life broke the news on May Bank Holiday Monday.
In order to include the right-back in their Club World Cup squad in the United States next month, Real Madrid contacted Liverpool to inquire about the possibility of bringing him to the Spanish capital before his contract officially expires.
At this point, it’s unclear if Liverpool would accept a small payment for Alexander-Arnold and take a player who is expected to depart as a free agent off their payroll sooner than anticipated.