Liverpool transfer news: Trent Arnold warning as Arne Slot drops midfielder hint

Liverpool fans are still holding out hope they could bring in a new signing or two this month as they look to cling on to their spot at the top of the Premier League.

Arne Slot's men are six points clear of rivals Arsenal after their dramatic 2-0 at Brentford this weekend, while they were pleased to see the Gunners drop points at home to Aston Villa.

The Reds are also mindful that some of their top stars could soon be on their way out of Anfield, with Mohamed Salah increasingly linked with a move away - while Real Madrid are interested in Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Here, Mirror Football takes a look through the biggest Liverpool transfer news and gossip.

Slot hints at why Liverpool didn't sign Zubimendi

Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi was the one that got away for Liverpool this summer, with the Reds walking away from negotiations for the Spanish midfielder.

However, Liverpool won't be too disappointed they failed to land their target after seeing a superb midfield partnership blossom between Ryan Gravenberch an Alexis Mac Allister. Now Slot has shed a light on the club's interest in Zubimendi - who now looks set for a move to Arsenal this summer - and hinted that the presence of Gravenberch meant they didn't need to sign him.

"The [No.6 roles] are important to me, but they are especially important for our attackers. We feel we have attackers that are pretty special - the front three - and we've got five or six of them.

"With Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) and Ryan, we have two players who can bring the ball to the likes of Mo Salah, to Cody Gakpo, to Darwin Nunez, to Diogo Jota.

"And we have chosen to bring in two players who were maybe a bit more attacking-minded in the past. Macca played a lot of times as a No.10 for Brighton, Ryan played more as an attacking midfielder but he is comfortable on the ball. I even think the player we wanted to bring in [Zubimendi] - I think that’s pretty much out in the open now - he was also a player who was really comfortable. He’s still a player who could bring the ball from the last line to our forwards.

"This is a special quality Ryan has. The ability to turn away from his man. He is one of a few holding midfielders, pivots, whatever you call them in this country, who can create an overload by a dribble."

Salah "doesn't look interested"

Transfer speculation linking Salah with a move away from Anfield has continued to swirl around the club with the Egyptian failing to sign a new contract, and now pundit Troy Deeney has fanned the flames.

Salah is in the form of his life after bagging 18 Premier League goals this season, but Deeney still suspects "something is up" with the 32-year-old.

The former Chelsea and Roma star has repeatedly suggested he will leave Liverpool this summer and hinted at his unhappiness at the contract situation and Deeney has claimed he "didn't look interested" after Liverpool's win over Brentford.

"[Salah] doesn't look interested," Deeney said while reviewing the game for talkSPORT. "Notably, Salah is the first one off the pitch... Something's up with that fella today. Whether it's something with Saudi, whether there's a move, but he's not been at the races today.

"Him going down the tunnel first, even though 95 percent of the team is over there celebrating, says a lot to me. The whole team was celebrating in the corner and he was 70 metres away. It was like, 'Job done, I'm out of here'. There might be something else going on and I'm overreacting. But that said a lot to me."

Trent Alexander-Arnold "will get killed at Madrid"

Another Liverpool star who has been questioned over his mentality amid transfer speculation is right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is subject to interest from LaLiga side Real Madrid.

The England star has come under fire for some under-par displays for the Reds in recent weeks and has been accused of taking his eye off the ball - while Roy Keane even claimed Madrid will lose interest if he continues playing poorly.

And Emmanuel Petit has backed up that claim, insisting that the Spanish press would "kill" Alexander-Arnold if he went to the Bernabeu considering how much expectation there is on top signings.

"Honestly, if he goes over there, they don't forgive anything at Real Madrid," he told Casino Utan Spelpaus. "He will go over there, and the fans and the club will tell Trent, forget what you've done with Liverpool so far. That is exactly what happened to me when I went to Barcelona. They told me, forget what you've done so far.

"You start on a new page. So now you have to write history with us. If Trent does what he does defensively at Real Madrid, they will kill him. It doesn't matter if he gives assists or if he scores goals, they will kill him.

"Look what happened at the Super Cup final? Oh my God. Defensively, it was a nightmare to watch for Real Madrid. So, can you imagine Trent Alexander-Arnold in this mess? After two, three games, they will kill him. If I was Trent Alexander-Arnold, I would think about it twice."