SLOT LOVES A PUZZLE

Liverpool boss: I didn't want to lose Trent but we will, so I must find a solution... and I enjoy that!

- BY SIMON MULLOCK

LIVERPOOL boss Arne Slot has admitted that convincing Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk to sign new contracts has eased the pain of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Salah and Van Dijk committed themselves to two-year deals last month - only for born-and-bred Scouser Alexander-Arnold to tell the newly-crowned Premier League champions he wants to seek a new challenge when his current contract expires at the end of June.

Alexander-Arnold is heading for Real Madrid - and the Spanish giants are hoping to convince Anfield bosses to allow the England defender to make an early exit so he is free to play in the Club World Cup.

Slot said: "If I had to choose between replacing one of the three or all three, I would have definitely picked the first option.

"Of course, I was hoping all three of them would stay, so it's still a bit of a disappointment that one of them decided to leave this club.