Andoni Iraola addresses Alexis Mac Allister’s Liverpool future after great 2026 World Cup performance
worldsoccertalk.com · 6 days ago
Liverpool's new manager Adoni Iraola made clear he wants to keep Alexis Mac Allister at the club following a great 2026 World Cup performance. Alexis Mac Allister enjoyed a strong 2026 World Cup with Argentina, helping the team reach a second straight final before falling to Spain. That deep run, combined with growing transfer speculation in England, has put his future at Liverpool under scrutiny just weeks before the new Premier League season kicks off. Amid the rumors, new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola addressed the midfielder’s situation directly when asked about the squad ahead of preseason. Rather than dodging the questions, Iraola made his stance on Mac Allister’s future clear. “Alexis has been one of this club’s best players over the last few seasons, he had a great World Cup, and it’s normal for other clubs to want our best players. It always happens, in every transfer window,” Iraola said. He followed that up by shutting down any suggestion he’s open to letting the Argentine leave: “But just as other teams want them, I want them to stay. I’m more focused on signing players than on losing the ones we already have here“. Alexis Mac Allister #20 of Argentina controls the ball during the 2026 World Cup. (Getty Images) Since arriving at Anfield from Brighton in July 2023 for a fee of €42 million, Mac Allister has won a Premier League title and a Carabao Cup with Liverpool, racking up 150 appearances, 19 goals and 20 assists along the way. Last season wasn’t his sharpest by his own standards, with just 5 goals and 5 assists in 55 matches, but he remains a key piece of Iraola’s squad as the coach wants to have a solid first season at Anfield. Iraola about Mac Allister’s return to Anfield The Spanish coach also touched on the timeline for Mac Allister’s return to preseason training, along with that of new signing Victor Munoz, the former Osasuna winger who also reached the World Cup final with Spain. Both players are expected to report later than the rest of the squad given how far their respective countries advanced in the tournament. “The most complicated situation will be Alexis’s, as well as Victor’s, because they played all the way to the end of the tournament. Basically, I understand that they deserve to have their vacation, a rest, and time to train with us,” Iraola said. He added that while the delay will impact their pre-season buildup, it’s a trade-off he’s willing to accept given the physical toll of the tournament. “It will affect the start of his season, but we can’t think only about that. Especially in Alexis’s case, who has played a ton of minutes throughout last season and at the World Cup. He deserves this rest,” he concluded.
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