Iraola wants Mac Allister & Alisson to stay with Liverpool

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola is determined to keep midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson Becker at Anfield, despite growing speculation surrounding their futures.

Mac Allister, an Argentina international, has two years remaining on his five-year contract signed upon his arrival in 2023. With no new deal talks initiated, rumors have surfaced suggesting a potential departure this summer. However, speaking at the start of Liverpool's pre-season tour in the United States, Iraola made his stance clear: "I want to keep my good players."

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I think Alexis has been one of the best players at the club for the last few years, and he has had a very good World Cup, so it is normal that other clubs want our best players. 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.

"I think Alexis has been one of the best players at the club for the last few years, and he has had a very good World Cup, so it is normal that other clubs want our best players," Iraola acknowledged. "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."

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I'm very happy with the situation we have right now in the goalkeeping area. Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience, I think he's someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players. We need the references like Virgil [van Dijk], like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players that have been here for a long time.

Regarding Alisson, who has one year left on his contract and has been linked with Juventus, Iraola emphasized the goalkeeper's value to the squad. "I'm very happy with the situation we have right now in the goalkeeping area," he stated. "Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience, I think he's someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players. We need the references like Virgil [van Dijk], like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players that have been here for a long time."

Iraola also touched upon the need for defensive reinforcements, particularly at right-back. With Conor Bradley sidelined for months due to a knee injury sustained in January, the team is thin in that position. "I think it's a situation that is tricky, because we trust Conor in the long term, we know we want him to be our right-back but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning," the Spaniard explained. "So, with the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now so I think it's a solution that we are trying to find, yes."

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I think it's a situation that is tricky, because we trust Conor in the long term, we know we want him to be our right-back but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning. So, with the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now so I think it's a solution that we are trying to find, yes.