Liverpool Manager Iraola Wants Mac Allister, Alisson to Stay, Seeks Defensive Reinforcements

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."