Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has been in charge for just a matter of weeks, but he is already facing the same problem that has plagued every modern Reds boss: the risk of losing his best players. With midfielder Alexis Mac Allister yet to start contract talks and goalkeeper Alisson entering the final year of his deal, Iraola has made it clear he wants both to stay — while simultaneously trying to plug defensive gaps caused by a long-term injury to right-back Conor Bradley.
At its simplest, this is a story about squad building under a new manager. Iraola took over from Arne Slot this summer, inheriting a team that finished third in the Premier League last season but has lost key figures — including captain Virgil van Dijk in the summer of 2025 — and is trying to evolve. The club have already made three signings, including winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna, but the manager has admitted they are "very thin" defensively, particularly at right-back with Bradley ruled out for "months" after a knee injury suffered in January.
“Why new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is battling to keep Mac Allister and Alisson while rebuilding the squad.”
The backdrop to this summer window is unusual success at international level. Liverpool now boast two World Cup winners in their squad at the same time for the first time since 2010, when Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres both won with Spain. Mac Allister started for Argentina in the 2022 final and won again in 2026 (while still at Brighton for the first), while new signing Munoz was part of Spain's victorious 2026 squad, even if injury limited his playing time. That is something neither Jurgen Klopp nor Arne Slot ever had — and gives Iraola a rare cachet of champions to build around.
For UK readers, this matters because Liverpool are one of the country's biggest clubs and their summer business could shape the Premier League title race. If Mac Allister, 27, and Alisson, 33, leave, the team loses midfield creativity and goalkeeping reliability. If they stay, they provide experience for younger players. The defensive shortage — with only Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and a recovering Bradley as senior options — could force Liverpool to spend big before the transfer window closes.
Q: Why does Alexis Mac Allister want to leave Liverpool? Mac Allister has not asked for a transfer, but he has two years left on his current contract and has not begun talks over a new deal. That has sparked speculation that he could be sold this summer rather than risk losing him on a free transfer in 2028.
Q: Will Alisson actually join Juventus? Juventus have been linked with a move for the Brazilian goalkeeper, who has one year remaining on his contract. Iraola has publicly stated he wants to keep Alisson, calling him an important reference point in a changing room that has lost experienced players.
Q: How many signings have Liverpool made this summer? The club have confirmed three signings so far as part of Iraola's rebuild, including Spanish winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna. The manager is also looking for defensive reinforcements, especially at right-back and centre-back.
The next few weeks will be decisive. Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States is underway, and Iraola has acknowledged he is "trying to find a solution" to the defensive depth problem. Talks over Mac Allister's future could accelerate if a club makes a formal bid, while Alisson's situation may become clearer as the window enters its final month. For now, Iraola's mantra is simple: "I'm looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here."