What version of Alexis Mac Allister turns up for Liverpool next season could be the difference between the Reds getting back to themselves under Andoni Iraola, or serving up more of the same of last year’s slop.
The Argentine showed some promising signs of returning to something approaching his true level during this summer’s World Cup, but although he is still one of the best midfielders in Europe on his day, Liverpool will reportedly pass up on handing Mac Allister a new contract.
According to journalist David Lynch, there is ‘no chance’ of the Reds opening talks over an extension with the 27-year-old, whose current deal expires in 2028.
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“I don’t think Liverpool have got any interest in opening them,” Lynch told Anfield Agenda this week. “So, that tells you exactly where he’s up to in terms of what they think about him. If someone comes with the right money, they will be open to a sale.”
Although it is hard to argue against Liverpool’s current stance after watching Mac Allister struggle so badly last season, selling him – or in the least signalling to the player that he is no longer needed – is a dangerous game for the Reds to play. Still in his prime, the No. 10 could easily still prove a lot of people wrong.
Liverpool need to keep an open mind on Mac Allister
Perhaps the main argument for Liverpool not looking at an extension for Mac Allister is that he will already be close to turning 30 by the time his current deal expires.
Any new agreement would surely take him into his early 30s, and given what we saw from the former Brighton man last season, there is a definite chance that he could decline further in the meantime.
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Nevertheless, if Mac Allister can reach the level he did during 2024/25, his age should not really matter. He would deserve an extension regardless.
By choosing to actively opt out of talks over a new deal, Liverpool are also running the risk of alienating Mac Allister, and pushing him towards the exit. Should he then regain his form over the coming months, and the Reds come cap in hand to keep him, he may have decided to leave already. Instead of shutting the door so definitively, Liverpool need to keep an open mind here.
Mac Allister absolutely cannot be sold this summer
Even if someone comes in with an outrageous bid for Mac Allister – and unless it is from Saudi Arabia, it is hard to see that happening – Liverpool should be in no rush to sell him this summer.
The Reds are already a little short as it is in midfield, and with Curtis Jones still potentially departing as well as no incoming business seemingly coming at all, there is no need to leave themselves short again.
Selling Mac Allister may look attractive now, but when the season kicks in and Liverpool are playing three games per week with four fit midfielders, the picture will change completely.
Given what he showed during his first two years with Liverpool, Mac Allister deserves the chance to show that last season was the anomaly. If the Reds do not give him that opportunity, there is little doubt that, one way or another, they will pay for it.
Contract discussions do not need to be started immediately, but the door should be left open, and if the 2025 PFA Player of the Year nominee can rise to the surface again under Iraola, Liverpool must tie him down.
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