Alexander-Arnold admits he's 'sat on the fence' over new Liverpool manager

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is entering the final stretch of his time in charge at Anfield. 

The 56-year-old German departs the club at the end of a glorious nine-year spell on Merseyside, which has seen the Reds pick up the Champions League, the Premier League, the Club World Cup and the FA Cup among other honours. 

It remains to be seen what comes next for the former Borussia Dortmund boss, with German higher-ups keen on handing him the national team job.

This summer threatens to be a period of much uncertainty around Liverpool, with a host of sweeping changes happening behind the scenes. 

As well as Klopp, trusted lieutenant Pep Lijnders is leaving, alongside coaching staff Vitor Matos and Peter Krawietz. 

Also exiting Anfield is Andreas Schlumberger, Klopp’s head of recovery and performance. 

Sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, meanwhile, left at the end of the January transfer window. 

His place is to be taken in June by incoming sporting director Richard Hughes, recruited from Bournemouth by Michael Edwards, who returns to the FSG fold as CEO of Football.

He will be assisted in the role by David Woodfine, who returns to the club in a recruitment capacity. 

The pair’s primary task will be to sort out the managerial position, no easy task with Bayern Munich and Barcelona also seeking to appoint an elite coach. 

First-choice Xabi Alonso is staying with Bayer Leverkusen having led the side to their first-ever Bundesliga title, which means Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is now the frontrunner. 

Other candidates for the position include Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton and Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann. 

One of Klopp’s biggest individual success stories throughout his time at Anfield has been Trent Alexander-Arnold. 

The 25-year-old has played over 300 games for Klopp, the only first-team coach he’s ever played for, and it will be a strange experience for the full back to work under a new manager at club level for the first time. 

Alexander-Arnold ‘on the fence’ about new manager

In a wide-ranging interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, the England international admitted to being “on the fence” regarding a new coach coming in but added that he is looking forward to the challenge. 

“I’d probably say I’m sat on the fence with regards to my feelings on a new manager coming in,” the Champions League and Premier League winner said.

“It’ll be a completely different situation and it’s going to be weird to then turn up to pre-season, having to adopt a new playing style.

“Whereas now, without anything getting said to me, I know all the manager wants me to play, and I turn up to pre-season, I know to jump there, I’m to press there, but for this summer, my next pre-season will have a completely different message."

“It’s going to be strange, but I think I like the idea of a new challenge for the team, the players and the club.

“The new manager is going to come in and change the way we play, and it’ll be a different culture and different messages. But as long as the mentality to win, the eagerness to win and the internal pressure within ourselves and the demand to win things and be in a title race next season, no matter who the manager is, then we’ll be fine.

“That’s what we expect from ourselves, of course, the results might not go our way, but if the mentality is there, and the dressing room has the desire that we’re going to win, we’re trying to win things as well.”

Alexander-Arnold is one of a trio of key Liverpool stars out of contract at the end of next season. 

Alongside Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, the defender-cum-midfielder is about to enter the last 12 months of his deal, another issue for Hughes to solve upon his appointment.