Arne Slot has warned Trent Alexander-Arnold that he has ‘no clue’ how Liverpool fans will treat him when they play Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Real Madrid travel to Anfield on Tuesday night, pitting two of the competition’s most successful teams against each other.
The clash has been hotly anticipated since the draw in August, more so this season as it sees Alexander-Arnold returning to Merseyside for the first time since he left his boyhood club last summer.
The England international’s decision to not sign a new contract with Liverpool and team up with Jude Bellingham in Madrid sparked outrage among Reds fans, with the defender subjected to boos from his own supporters towards the end of last season.
Slot and Jurgen Klopp criticised the jeering fans, which briefly quietened the discourse, but it is anticipated that Anfield will give the 27-year-old a cold reception on Tuesday.
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Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Monday, Slot said he would give Alexander-Arnold a ‘warm welcome’ and urged fans to be in full voice to help the team get the better of Los Blancos.
‘I can only tell you what reception he gets from me,’ the Liverpool manager said.
‘I have great memories of the player and human, my vice captain. I have memories working with him that are only positive. I watched him in front of the television and only great memories of him in a Liverpool shirt.
‘He will get a warm welcome from me but let’s see how our fans react, I have no clue. A warm welcome from me, that is for certain.’
Addressing the Anfield faithful directly, Slot added: ‘I say to them, show up tomorrow and help us like they did on Saturday.
‘They were a big help for the team and again tomorrow we face a team that’s on a great run, just as [Aston] Villa was. Then it’s always a pleasure to play at home.
‘In the run we had, we almost only played away. On Saturday Anfield showed how important they can be for the team and let’s hope the fans do the same tomorrow evening.’
Ryan Gravenberch, who played alongside Alexander-Arnold for two seasons, echoed his manager but added that he had not been in much contact with his former teammate.
‘From the fans I don’t know, but he’s obviously a friend of mine so I will give him a hug of course,’ the midfielder said when asked what reception the right-back would get.
“Not a lot of messages but I’ll see him tomorrow.’
Alexander-Arnold, who made over 350 appearances for the Reds, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League, said he had ‘mixed feelings’ ahead of the big game.
His Real Madrid career has not got off to the best start, struggling in both La Liga and the Club World Cup, and he has not played since mid-September after suffering a hamstring injury.
Liverpool have also struggled since his departure, with Slot trialling out multiple players in the right-back role to mixed results, while Mohamed Salah’s output has significantly dropped without the Englishman’s creativity.
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