Trent Alexander-Arnold BENCHED by Arne Slot as Liverpool boss makes decision following Anfield exit announcement

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been named connected the seat for Liverpool's clash against Arsenal, conscionable days aft the defender confirmed helium would beryllium leaving Anfield astatine the extremity of the season.

Conor Bradley has been selected astatine right-back successful his place.

The Reds, who celebrated winning the Premier League with 7 games to spare past month, are preparing for beingness without Alexander-Arnold aft helium announced his program to prosecute a caller situation distant from Anfield.

The England planetary volition articulation Real Madrid connected a free transfer aft emerging done Liverpool's younker ranks to go 1 of the club's astir important players nether Jurgen Klopp and Slot.

In a connection connected societal media, Alexander-Arnold wrote connected May 5: 'After 20 years astatine Liverpool Football Club, present is the clip for maine to corroborate that I volition beryllium leaving astatine the extremity of the season. This is easy the hardest determination I’ve ever made successful my life. 

'I cognize galore of you person wondered wherefore oregon been frustrated that I haven’t spoken astir this yet, but it was ever my volition to support my afloat absorption connected the team’s champion interests, which was securing No.20.

'This nine has been my full beingness – my full satellite - for 20 years. From the Academy close done until now, the enactment and emotion I person felt from everyone wrong and extracurricular of the nine volition enactment with maine forever. I volition everlastingly beryllium successful indebtedness to you all.

'But, I person ne'er known thing other and this determination is astir experiencing a caller challenge, taking myself retired of my comfortableness portion and pushing myself some professionally and personally.

'I’ve fixed my each all azygous time I’ve been astatine this club, and I anticipation you consciousness similar I’ve fixed backmost to you during my clip here. From the bottommost of my heart, I convey everybody – my coaches, my managers, my teammates, the unit and our unthinkable supporters - for the past 20 years.

'I’ve been blessed capable to unrecorded retired my dreams present and I volition never, ever instrumentality for granted the peculiar moments I’ve been fortunate capable to person lived done with you all. My emotion for this nine volition ne'er die'.

Alexander-Arnold's exit has been wide criticised by ample groups of Liverpool supporters, who consciousness fto down by the defender's determination to tally his declaration down and permission connected a escaped transfer.

Slot's squad enactment against Arsenal, which sees some Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk starting aft they agreed to caller deals astatine Anfield, shows that the Dutchman is already looking towards adjacent play with the inclusion of Bradley.

The Northern Irishman, 21, has impressed arsenic a lawman to Alexander-Arnold truthful acold successful his Liverpool vocation and is poised to win the England planetary successful the relation adjacent campaign.

Liverpool are besides expected to people a caller full-back successful the summertime transportation window, truthful Sunday's clash with Arsenal presents a cleanable accidental for Bradley to amusement Slot what helium tin do.

Following Alexander-Arnold's announcement past week, Liverpool wrote: 'The 26-year-old volition bring his two-decade-long relation with the Reds to an extremity having made the determination to depart Anfield erstwhile his woody ceases connected June 30, 2025.

'Alexander-Arnold volition depart with our gratitude and appreciation for his publication during a sustained play of success.'

It puts to an extremity the long-running saga that has dominated debates this play with the 26-year-old not discussing his aboriginal retired of respect to Liverpool arsenic helium did not privation it to beryllium played retired successful public.

Mail Sport was the archetypal English paper to study that Real Madrid were assured of securing Alexander-Arnold mode backmost successful December – and not overmuch has changed on the way.

It is understood that the declaration is not officially signed yet but volition beryllium soon, with the England planetary acceptable to articulation his bully pal and Three Lions team-mate Jude Bellingham successful the Spanish capital.