Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has stated his intention to keep midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson at the club, despite ongoing transfer speculation surrounding both players. Iraola expressed his commitment to retaining the team's core talent during the club's pre-season tour in Chicago.
Mac Allister, an Argentina international, has two years remaining on his five-year contract signed upon his arrival in 2023. With no new contract talks initiated yet, speculation has arisen about a potential summer departure. However, Iraola emphasized the player's importance, noting his strong performances over recent years and a successful World Cup. "I want to keep my good players. I'm looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here," Iraola said.
Goalkeeper Alisson, with one year left on his contract, has been linked with a move to Juventus. Iraola highlighted the 33-year-old Brazilian's experience as crucial for the upcoming season, especially in integrating new signings and younger players. "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," the manager stated. He added, "We need the references like Virgil [van Dijk], like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players that have been here for a long time."
Iraola also acknowledged the need for defensive reinforcements, particularly at right-back. This is due to an anticipated long absence for Conor Bradley, who sustained a knee injury in January and is expected to be out for "months," missing the start of the season. "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," Iraola explained. He further noted, "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."