NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - Sunday, February 22, 2026: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates after scoring the winning goal in the 97th minute during the FA Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Liverpool FC at the City Ground. Liverpool won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - Sunday, February 22, 2026: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates after scoring the winning goal in the 97th minute during the FA Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Liverpool FC at the City Ground. Liverpool won 1-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Andoni Iraola has made clear he wants to keep Alexis Mac Allister at Liverpool despite ongoing links with Real Madrid, as he is “one of the club’s best players.”
Mac Allister has entered the final two years of his contract at Liverpool, and after a muted campaign last time out, he has been touted with an exit.
But while his father and agent Carlos has recently downplayed claims he could join Real Madrid, speculation continues over the future of one of Argentina’s standout performers at the World Cup.
With his return to Liverpool delayed after reaching the World Cup final, Mac Allister will not meet new head coach Iraola until mid-August.
But the Spaniard has already reiterated that he expects his No. 10 to stay, as he told reporters in a press conference in Chicago on Tuesday.
“I think Alexis has been one of the club’s best players in the past years,” Iraola began when asked about interest from LaLiga.
“He has had a very good World Cup and it’s normal that other clubs want our best players, our good players, it always happens in all the markets.
“But I want to keep my good players. Probably I’m looking forward more to signing new players than losing the ones we have here.”
Iraola wants to stick with his core Liverpool squad
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 4, 2026: Liverpool's substitute Alexis Mac Allister during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, April 4, 2026: Liverpool's substitute Alexis Mac Allister during the pre-match warm-up before the FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
That follows a similar vein from Iraola in wanting to work with the existing core of his Liverpool squad, having also stressed that he hopes to keep Curtis Jones and Alisson.
Mac Allister’s performances at the World Cup served as a reminder of the level he is capable of reaching and sparked theories that he was simply overworked and misused under Arne Slot.
The lack of a full pre-season will be frustrating for Iraola but it would be no surprise to see Mac Allister in starting contention as soon as the Premier League campaign begins.
Liverpool Contracts Expiring 2027 and 2028
||||
Player Contract Expires Age at Expiry
Virgil van Dijk 2027 35
Alisson 2027 34
Joe Gomez 2027 30
Kostas Tsimikas 2027 31
Curtis Jones 2027 26
Harvey Elliott 2027 24
Wataru Endo 2027 34
Stefan Bajcetic 2027 22
Freddie Woodman 2027 29
Rio Ngumoha 2028 19
Alexis Mac Allister 2028 29
Federico Chiesa 2028 30
Liverpool will still face a business decision when it comes to a player who turns 28 later this year, however, as there are currently no plans to extend his contract.
While there remains security over Mac Allister’s situation with his deal running to 2028, there is at least the very real prospect of the midfielder being sold next summer.
Much will depend on any offers that present themselves, particularly from a club the scale of Real Madrid, but as far as Iraola is concerned the focus should be on signing players rather than seeing more leave.
Football – FA Premier League – Liverpool FC v Brentford FC
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's goalkeeper Alisson Becker during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
1 circle collage (39)
1 circle collage (39)