Alexis Mac Allister has softened the tone of his recent remarks about his Liverpool future, saying his comments were driven by emotion rather than any attempt to criticise the club.

The midfielder had disclosed that his agent was told during contract discussions that Liverpool are “not in a position to renew”, with his current deal running to 2028. He also said he had rejected the chance to leave in the summer transfer window, which left the impression that he was applying pressure publicly. Two weeks later, while arriving in Argentina for national team duty, he made clear that was not his intention.

“In that press conference, because they were asking me a bit about my future, it just came from within,” he admitted. “It was more about my emotions than judging the club or anything like that. In the end, they’re the ones who handle these things and make the decisions. That’s fine with me.”

Mac Allister remains under contract for this season and next, and he has previously said he would “give 100% for [Liverpool] … until the last day I’m here”. He still hopes for a new agreement, but also accepts that the situation may move in a different direction.

“Hopefully it’ll be for more years,” he said of his time at Liverpool. “But if it’s two, that’s absolutely fine. I’ll enjoy it, enjoy it with my family, because I have no doubt it’s one of the best clubs in the world.”

From Liverpool’s point of view, a long extension does not appear as straightforward as the deals handed to Gravenberch and Szoboszlai. The club is wary of committing heavily to a player who turns 30 in December 2028, especially with resale value in mind and recent examples shaping caution.

If a renewal does not happen, the most logical outcome would be a sale next summer. Real Madrid have previously been linked, while Paris Saint-Germain could also view him as a possible answer to Fabián Ruiz, who turns 31 this season.

Jamie Carragher has asked Andoni Iraola to make a difficult call on Florian Wirtz, arguing that the Liverpool midfielder’s level for Liverpool remains far below what was expected when he arrived last summer.

The discussion intensified after Liverpool’s narrow win over Bournemouth on Sunday. Wirtz started in the No. 10 role and was credited with three chances created, but his influence on the game was limited. He finished with 0.05 expected assists and 0.22 expected goals, while every attempt he made was blocked immediately. Carragher felt the performance offered little evidence that the player is moving closer to the standard Liverpool hoped for.

“Nothing is happening there at all,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt. I’ve been critical of the fact that he hasn’t got the numbers. But normally when you watch Wirtz, he’s neat and tidy, he keeps possession, there’s things that you like. He gets out of a tight situation where you’re normally expecting your player to lose the ball.”

Carragher’s view has now shifted beyond form. He suggested the issue may not be temporary, but instead representative of what Wirtz actually is.

“I worry [because] I don’t think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool. I actually think what we’re seeing is what he is. It was just in the back of my head [for 12 months].

“I don’t see how he’s going to hurt you. It’s just neat and tidy. And in some way, the price tag for that type of player should be half of what Liverpool have paid. The worry for Wirtz now is that his performances so far, or what he’s given Liverpool, is so low. Where we were expecting him was to take Liverpool to another league title, to take Liverpool to a Champions League .”

He added that the “gap” between expectation and reality is “almost too big” to close, even with improvement. Carragher compared Wirtz with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Morgan Gibbs-White and Emiliano Buendía, who he believes are adding more regular value for their teams.

That led to the question of selection. Carragher pointed out that Iraola has already been willing to leave Ryan Gravenberch out for much of the season, and said Wirtz should be judged in the same way, especially with Manchester City next after the international window.

“Wirtz wouldn’t be in my Liverpool team. Manchester City at home, for me, he can’t be in the team,” Carragher said. “The things I’ve liked so far about Iraola, he’s had the courage to make big decisions. Ryan Gravenberch has just signed a hefty contract on a five-year deal on massive money. He’s not playing. Sooner or later he’s going to have to make a decision on Florian Wirtz. I hope it’s sooner. Not because I don’t like Florian Wirtz, I’m desperate for the kid to do well. I just want Liverpool to win.”

Andoni Iraola has suggested Liverpool’s extra recovery time could tilt Sunday’s meeting in their favour at the Vitality Stadium.

Liverpool arrived into the fixture after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round win over Tottenham Hotspur, where a rotated side claimed a 3-1 victory. Bournemouth, by contrast, were in Europa League action on Thursday and returned from their trip to Real Sociedad with a 2-1 win, earned through goals from Justin Kluivert and Rayan.

Speaking in his prematch press conference, Iraola was clear about the scheduling imbalance. “I think we have an advantage,” he said. “Most of the times it has been the opposite. We have been the team that played last, but this time we played two days before they played.

“I think there should be an advantage there, but also I know where we are going, and I know what they have there, not only the stadium but overall.

“When you see the number of games they have lost in a long while [just three defeats in 2026], you realize how difficult it is to beat Bournemouth.”

Liverpool were able to use younger players and lesser-used squad members against Spurs, while Marco Rose selected a full-strength Bournemouth line-up in San Sebastián. On that basis, the Reds are expected to arrive fresher for Iraola’s reunion.

Even so, the Bournemouth boss will have noticed Liverpool’s flat display in last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham. After their victory over Atlético Madrid only a few days earlier, Liverpool appeared drained at Anfield and struggled to impose themselves in a match that finished without a goal.

That pattern is not new. In the 11 Liverpool matches that have followed midweek trips this calendar year, they have won only six. Three draws and two defeats sit alongside that return, including one loss at Bournemouth in January. For Iraola, the recent numbers offer reason to believe this could be a tighter contest than the schedule alone might suggest.