Liverpool manager Arne Slot has denied the fact that the is speculation over the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold is affecting the right-back after his poor display allowed Manchester United to score twice in Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw.

Alexander-Arnold is out of contract at the end of this season and has not signed a new deal amid speculation Real Madrid will swoop for him on a free transfer.

He was dire in the draw with United which saw The Reds drop points at home, though they remain six points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, which is a visit to local rivals Everton on February 11.

“No, no I don’t think so (if the speculation got the better of him),” Slot told reporters. “I think Trent has played mostly very good games for this club. There probably have been games that he wasn’t on his best; today wasn’t his best game, but that probably had something to do with them (United) as well.

“Especially in the first half, sometimes Ryan (Gravenberch) wasn’t close enough to him, so he was sometimes in a two-vs-one situation as well. I would put it more on the performance of (Diogo) Dalot and Bruno Fernandes than it being down to Trent.”

Liverpool are next in action on Wednesday when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur for a League Cup semifinal first leg, and then welcome Accrington Stanley to Anfield in the FA Cup on Saturday.