Paul Scholes explains why he believes Arne Slot isn’t fond of Trent Alexander-Arnold

Paul Scholes has expressed concerns that Arne Slot might have reservations about Trent Alexander-Arnold following the right-back’s performance in Liverpool’s match against Manchester United.

Scholes suspects that Slot, the newly appointed Liverpool manager, may not be fully supportive of Alexander-Arnold. This comes after Alexander-Arnold was substituted during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Brentford, which has raised questions about potential tension between the two.

On a recent episode of The Overlap, presented by Sky Bet, Scholes noted Alexander-Arnold’s strong performances for England in the Nations League against Ireland and Finland. However, he was troubled by Slot’s reaction to Alexander-Arnold’s play during Liverpool’s victory at Old Trafford, as reported by the Mirror. Scholes observed Slot shaking his head and appearing frustrated with Alexander-Arnold’s mistakes, prompting him to question Slot’s opinion of the player.

Scholes asked Jamie Carragher, “Do you think Slot likes him?” He described how Slot’s visible disapproval during the game—marked by head-shaking and turning away—suggested to him that Slot might not be fond of Alexander-Arnold.

Carragher countered by suggesting that Slot would likely want to keep Alexander-Arnold, explaining, “I think the way Slot wants to play, he doesn’t want these long balls as much. He will want him to stay as a player.”

Alexander-Arnold’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and he has not yet agreed to a new deal, with Real Madrid reportedly interested.

Slot addressed concerns over Alexander-Arnold’s frustration at being substituted against Brentford, clarifying that the decision was made to manage his fitness. “Trent came back from the national team, where in the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot and then he didn’t,” Slot said after the game. “He had a few weeks off, came back and it is only his third game and we have to take care of him. We need him for the whole season and not only for the first two games.”

Slot also noted the presence of a strong backup in Conor, which allows them to manage Alexander-Arnold’s workload while maintaining his performance level.

Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold has been in excellent form on the international stage, earning man-of-the-match honors for England against both Ireland and Finland. Slot will hope the 25-year-old continues his strong performances as Liverpool prepares to face Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday.