Iraola wants Mac Allister and Alisson to stay with Reds

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson played at the 2026 World Cup for Argentina and Brazil [Getty Images]Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola wants midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson to remain at the club.

>Argentina international Mac Allister has two years left on the five-year contract he signed at Liverpool when he joined the Reds in 2023.

>The 27-year-old has yet to begin talks over a new deal, which has prompted speculation he could leave Anfield this summer.

>However, Iraola told a news conference in Chicago at the beginning of Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States that he wants to hang on to the player.

>"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 said.

>"It always happens in other markets. 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."

>Alisson has a year left on his contract at Anfield and has been linked with a move to Juventus, but Iraola is keen to bank on the 33-year-old Brazilian's experience in the forthcoming season.

>"I'm very happy with the situation we have right now in the goalkeeping area," explained the Reds boss.

>"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 acknowledged he has one eye on bringing in defensive reinforcements during the summer transfer window, particularly at right-back given Conor Bradley is "months" away from playing.

>The Northern Ireland international sustained a knee injury in January and will not be available for the start of the season.

>"At the end, 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," explained the Spaniard.

>"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."

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