LIVERPOOL: Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has defended Trent Alexander-Arnold over his lacklustre display against Manchester United.
Van Dijk also rejected the notion that Real Madrid’s desire to sign his teammate was the cause of Alexander-Arnold’s negative impact.
Alexander-Arnold was the source of Lisandro Martinez’s opening goal which saw the two teams tied 2-2 at Anfield, thus showing that the player’s performance was below his true standard.
The right-back’s lackluster performance has been ongoing for a long time and has often been the subject of debate regarding his future with the English Premier League (EPL) leaders.
The 26-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season and this means he can now sign a pre-contract with a club abroad.
Spanish giants Real reportedly made a bid to sign him but Liverpool are believed to have rejected the offer.
Liverpool are scheduled to face Tottenham in London on Wednesday in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final.
“Trent has people around him, his family and we are here for him too,” said Van Dijk.
“He wants to perform at the best level possible, just like we do. That’s the main focus.”