Mac Allister has two years remaining on his contract but hasn't begun renewal talks, prompting speculation about a potential summer departure. Alisson, 33, has one year left on his deal and has been linked with Juventus, but Iraola values his experience for squad stability.
Iraola signals intent to keep Mac Allister and Alisson at Liverpool
I want to keep my good players rather than losing the ones we have
Mark
Why does Iraola need to make this statement about Mac Allister and Alisson right now, in Chicago, at the start of pre-season?
Mimi
Because silence invites speculation, and speculation becomes leverage. If he doesn't say he wants them to stay, agents and rival clubs start circling. He's drawing a line.
Mark
But Mac Allister hasn't even started contract talks. Doesn't that suggest the player himself might be uncertain?
Mimi
It could. Or it could mean Liverpool hasn't felt the urgency yet. Two years is still time. But Iraola's statement is partly a nudge—a public signal that the club values him and expects him to be part of what's coming.
Mark
Alisson is 33 and has only a year left. That's a real vulnerability, isn't it?
Mimi
Absolutely. But Iraola isn't thinking about replacing him right now. He's thinking about the next season, and he needs Alisson's presence in the dressing room as much as his hands. That's worth more than you'd think.
Mark
So the real problem is Conor Bradley and the right-back position?
Mimi
That's where the actual pressure is. Bradley's injury has forced Iraola's hand. He can't wait for him to recover. He has to buy now, and that costs money and attention that might otherwise go to keeping Mac Allister happy.
Mark
Does Iraola sound confident about solving this?
Mimi
He sounds realistic. He acknowledges the situation is "tricky." He trusts Bradley long-term but knows he can't rely on him this season. That's the honest assessment of a manager who's already thinking three moves ahead.
Der Puls
- Mac Allister has two years remaining on his five-year contract signed in 2023
- Alisson, 33, has one year left on his deal and has been linked with Juventus
- Conor Bradley suffered a knee injury in January and is months away from returning
- Iraola is seeking defensive reinforcements, particularly at right-back
Mac Allister has two years remaining on his contract but hasn't begun renewal talks, prompting speculation about a potential summer departure. Alisson, 33, has one year left on his deal and has been linked with Juventus, but Iraola values his experience for squad stability.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has expressed his desire to keep midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson at the club amid transfer speculation, while acknowledging the need for defensive reinforcements.
Andoni Iraola arrived in Chicago for the start of Liverpool's American pre-season tour with a clear message: the club's best players are staying put. The new manager, speaking at a news conference, made explicit his intention to keep both Alexis Mac Allister and Alisson at Anfield despite mounting speculation that either could depart this summer.
Mac Allister, the Argentine midfielder who joined Liverpool in 2023, has become one of the club's most reliable performers over the past few seasons. At 27, he remains under contract through 2028, with two years still to run on the five-year deal he signed upon arrival. Yet the absence of any formal discussion about extending that agreement has set off alarm bells in the transfer market. Other clubs have noticed his form, particularly after a strong showing at the World Cup, and Iraola acknowledged the inevitable interest that follows when a player of Mac Allister's caliber enters the final two years of his contract. "It always happens in other markets," the manager said. "But I want to keep my good players. I'm looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here."
The situation with Alisson carries different weight. The Brazilian goalkeeper, now 33, has just one year remaining on his current terms, and Juventus has emerged as a potential suitor. Yet Iraola sees value in retaining him that extends beyond his shot-stopping. In a squad that has lost some of its senior anchors, Alisson represents continuity and institutional knowledge. Alongside Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, he forms part of the experienced core that Iraola believes will be essential as the club integrates new signings and younger players. "Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience," Iraola explained. "I think he's someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation."
What complicates Iraola's ambitions to hold the line on his established players is the defensive fragility he has inherited. Conor Bradley, Liverpool's right-back, suffered a knee injury in January and remains months away from match fitness. That absence leaves the club dangerously thin at a position where depth is non-negotiable at the highest level. Iraola expressed frustration with the timing and the constraint it places on his planning. "If you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go and we would not be asking ourselves these questions," he said. The manager is now actively hunting for reinforcements in both the centre-back and right-back positions, a search that will likely consume significant resources during the summer window. For now, Iraola's priority is clear: keep the experienced players who can steady the ship while the club addresses the defensive gaps that threaten to undermine the season ahead.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I want to keep my good players. I'm looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here.— Andoni Iraola, Liverpool manager
Alisson is someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players.— Andoni Iraola on retaining the goalkeeper
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