LIVERPOOL: Arne Slot said Trent Alexander-Arnold 鈥渄eserves鈥� to be part of Liverpool鈥檚 title celebrations despite revealing he was unhappy with the defender鈥檚 performances in training at the start of the season.
The England international announced his decision to quit his boyhood club earlier this month and is widely expected to join Real Madrid.
He was booed by Liverpool fans when he came on as a second-half substitute in last week鈥檚 2-2 draw against Arsenal at Anfield and did not play in the 3-2 defeat at Brighton on Monday.
Liverpool, who wrapped up the Premier League title last month with four games to spare, will be presented with the trophy after Sunday鈥檚 game against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.
Slot was asked by reporters on Friday whether he had concerns that the celebrations would be overshadowed by an negative reaction to Alexander-Arnold.
He said he had yet to make a decision on the extent of the right-back鈥檚 involvement.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 decided on that one yet but I think this should be a day that everybody is going to enjoy,鈥� Slot said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been 35 years everybody is waiting for this moment.鈥�
Liverpool lifted the 2020 Premier League trophy behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions.
Slot, in his first season at Anfield, said celebrations after Liverpool sealed the title against Tottenham were special.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that we can add a moment like this to it and I think everybody that鈥檚 in this stadium deserves to be there, the fans, the staff, but also the players,鈥� he said.
鈥淥ne of my players is Trent so he definitely deserves to be there as well because he鈥檚 been part of an incredibly successful season and an incredibly successful (few) years at this club.鈥�

While Slot hopes Alexander-Arnold gets a fond farewell from fans, the Dutchman was critical about the right-back鈥檚 efforts in training during his early weeks as Liverpool manager.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to leave either way so maybe it鈥檚 already a first gift I can give Xabi (Alonso, expected to be the new Real Madrid manager),鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut I wasn鈥檛 completely happy with every single minute how he was on the training ground. So, in my opinion, in certain moments he could do a bit more, to say it mildly.
鈥淚 said to him 鈥榊ou are a much better defender than everybody tells you, but unfortunately you don鈥檛 show it all the time鈥�.鈥�
Slot said he told Alexander-Arnold, 26, that if he was focused there were not many players that could go past him because he is 鈥渇ast, he鈥檚 agile, he has a great mentality.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 about showing it every single game, because in this world we are judged not only on the 34 games we do well, we are mainly judged on the four games that we don鈥檛 do so well,鈥� he said.