Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has admitted everyone at the club is disappointed that Trent Alexander-Arnold has decided to leave at the end of the season.
On Monday, the England international confirmed his decision not to extend his contract which expires in the summer - something which had been expected for a while amid long-term links to Real Madrid.
Slot has not spoken in person to the defender since the announcement - only via WhatsApp - but intends to talk to him on Friday to see how he is feeling about the fallout, which has received a mixed reception from fans and pundits.
"I think, like everybody who likes Liverpool and is a fan of Liverpool, we are disappointed for him leaving because not only a good human being is leaving the club but a very good full-back is leaving us as well," said Slot.
"But I also worked at clubs like AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, where every season a very good player or multiple very good players have left the club, so I am a bit more used to it.
"But the experience I have - and by the way this club as well - is that if a very good player is leaving, the next very good player will step up and that probably will happen now."
'I'm not here to tell the fans how to react'
The reaction to the England international's decision to end his 20-year association with the club has varied wildly among supporters and pundits, but the Liverpool boss said it was not his place to tell fans how they should react.
Slot will speak to Alexander-Arnold when the players train on Friday about how he is feeling following his announcement, having only communicated by WhatsApp since last seeing the right-back on Monday.
"That people have an opinion about us, if it is Trent or me or someone else, is not new for anyone," added Slot.
"Probably it's a bit more now for him than he is used to and probably a bit more negative but I don't follow all of this. I am not here to tell the fans how they should react.
"We are all disappointed but Trent is the first one also who he said he would prefer us as a team and a club not to be not too much distracted by this announcement.
"I am hoping all the energy on Sunday goes to the players and less as possible to Trent - unless it is positive then they can do whatever they want.
"I worked at clubs like AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord where every season a very good player or multiple very good players left the club so I am a bit more used to it.
"But the experience I have - and by the way this club as well - is that if a very good player is leaving the next very good player will step up and that probably will happen now."
'Difficult to find better players than we already have'
Alexander-Arnold's decision leaves the Premier League champions light at right-back with 21-year-old Conor Bradley, with 54 senior appearances to his name, their only recognised senior player in the position.
Slot has admitted prohibitive transfer fees may be a barrier to him signing a ready-made replacement for Alexander-Arnold.
"I think it would be a surprise if I were to tell you now 'Yes, we we are looking at this and looking at that'," said Slot.
"We don't talk about contracts here so we don't talk about the positions or if we want to improve the team in certain areas.
"That's the most difficult thing for a club like Liverpool if you just won the league is that it is not easy to find better players than we already have.
"And if they are there then they still need to be affordable and need to want to come.
"That last thing is mostly not a problem, by the way, but transfer fees sometimes are."
'We all see Bradley's potential'
Slot could hand Bradley the chance to replace Alexander-Arnold next season but the Liverpool boss was not keen on comparisons when asked about the right back becoming first choice next season.
"Let's not compare with Trent already, they are different types in my opinion," Slot said.
"We all see Conor's potential.
"Last week I walked on pitch with him [at Chelsea] and for me, it was a surprise to hear from him, he had a comment about the stadium and it was the first he was there as well.
"For me he is already there ahead of development than being at Chelsea for the first time.
"Unfortunately, he hasn't been fit all season but to become a good player you have to be fit all season but we have a lot of confidence in him as a very good full-back for Liverpool.
"That is already what he's shown in the past two seasons."
