Liverpool
Mac Allister staying put as Iraola faces physical demands of Liverpool’s new style
Mac Allister stays at Liverpool, but Iraola must adapt him to a far more demanding physical system.
Alexis Mac Allister’s immediate future has been settled, with his father, Carlos, moving quickly to dismiss talk of a surprise switch away from Liverpool and towards Manchester City.
Mac Allister endured what was described as the worst season of his Liverpool career last term, but he arrived at the 2026/27 campaign with fresh momentum after an impressive World Cup. He started every meaningful match as Argentina reached a second straight final, restoring his standing after a difficult domestic year in which he was often exposed in a midfield that repeatedly left too much space behind it.
That context made the transfer chatter around him notable, especially with BBC Sport reporting him as a possible name in Manchester City’s search for a Rodri replacement. Yet Carlos Mac Allister shut the idea down firmly. “Alexis will stay at Liverpool,” the former professional told winwin, “and we have not discussed any possibility of him leaving the club this summer.”
There had already been uncertainty around the midfielder’s longer-term situation, with contract talks still unopened, but the short-term picture now points in one direction. Andoni Iraola has made no secret of his wish to keep his best players, and he said as much on Liverpool’s preseason tour of the U.S. before any formal decision was confirmed.
“I think Alexis has been one of the best players at the club for the last few years,” Iraola admitted to assembled reporters during Liverpool’s preseason tour of the U.S., “and he has had a very good World Cup, so it is normal that other clubs want our best players. 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.”
Iraola got that wish, but the challenge now is making Mac Allister fit a far more demanding system. Liverpool have already conceded two-goal leads in friendlies against Leeds United and Monaco, and Iraola has acknowledged that his players are still short of the required energy over 90 minutes.
“The problem right now is they don’t have the energy for 90 minutes,” Iraola fretted. “They start to get tired, and it will take time for them. We need more training with them.”
Mac Allister missed those friendlies and reported late after Argentina’s tournament run. He also faces a clear step up in running demands under Iraola’s methods.
Arsenal
Opta’s 2026/27 forecast gives Arsenal the edge in title race
Opta’s model backs Arsenal for the title, while Hull City, Ipswich Town and Coventry City face relegation fears.
A summer dominated by Spain’s World Cup success in North America is fading fast, and the Premier League returns with the familiar flood of predictions. This time, Opta has put its numbers behind the new season, using its Power Rankings and thousands of simulations to map out the title race, the fight for Europe and the battle to avoid the drop.
At the top of the model, Arsenal stand clear of the field. Opta gives the champions a 38% chance of retaining the crown, a figure that places them ahead of Manchester City on 20.5% and Liverpool on 9.2%. Manchester United follow on 6.2%, with Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all given smaller title probabilities.
The forecast also suggests a comfortable route back into the Champions League for Arsenal. Under a system where a top-five finish would be enough for qualification, the Gunners are rated at 83% to end up in that bracket. Manchester City and Liverpool are also strongly backed, while Manchester United are given a 40% chance of securing a return to Europe’s top competition.
Villa remain in the mix for Champions League football, though the model does not see them pushing for the league title. Chelsea’s prospects are built more around a Champions League return than a serious domestic challenge, despite the talk surrounding Xabi Alonso’s side. Tottenham, meanwhile, are viewed as more likely to improve than to join the title conversation, with a push for Europe framed as a realistic target after successive 17th-place finishes.
At the bottom, Opta is unconvinced by the newly promoted clubs. Hull City are rated the most likely to go down, followed by Ipswich Town and Coventry City. The model points to difficult openings for Coventry and Hull, noting that promoted teams often need a strong start to survive. In Premier League history, none of the 16 promoted teams who collected at least eight points from their first five games have gone straight back down.
Liverpool
What a Bezos-backed Liverpool stake could mean for this summer’s transfer plans
Liverpool’s proposed minority sale may change ownership, but it will not automatically reshape summer spending.
Liverpool could be on the brink of a significant change in ownership structure, with a consortium led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly closing in on a minority stake in the club.
Reaction among supporters has been split. Some are wary of any fresh investment, with memories still vivid of the Tom Hicks and George Gillett era, when the club was left in financial ruin before being sold to FSG in 2010. That history has naturally raised questions about the motives behind the proposed deal.
Others see the reported $1.9 billion injection of funds in a different light, believing it could strengthen Liverpool’s position in the market and allow for more ambitious transfer activity.
On Monday, it emerged that Bezos’s consortium was “closing in on a deal” to buy into Liverpool, with talks said to have “accelerated quickly”. There is no confirmed timetable, but the report suggests the matter could be wrapped up this week or next.
Even so, the timing would not alter Liverpool’s business in the current window. The club are already being linked with further moves after bringing in Jérémy Jacquet ($80 million), Victor Muñoz ($46 million) and Ronald Araújo on loan, yet more additions are still viewed as necessary for Andoni Iraola’s first season in charge.
Supporter frustration has been building over the lack of activity, although Liverpool are currently working on a major deal for Bradley Barcola that could rise to nearly $200 million. They are also said to be interested in his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Ibrahim Mbaye, with more recruitment in other positions still possible before the Sep. 1 deadline.
The key point, though, is that new investment does not automatically unlock extra spending power. The Premier League’s Squad Cost Ratio rules restrict spending according to revenue, not ownership wealth, so the money available in the transfer market is not dictated by who owns the club.
“The deal could be a straight share sale by FSG to the new group, in which case there would be no financial implications for the club itself,” soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport.
Spirit of Shankly have also asked for clarity, questioning what a 30 percent stake would bring in return and whether the consortium would have any role in control or board representation. Their concern, they say, is whether the proposed buyers have the club’s best interests at heart.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s defensive puzzle after Ronald Araújo’s arrival
Araújo adds options, but Liverpool still face major defensive doubts before the Newcastle opener.
Liverpool’s first preseason under Andoni Iraola has already exposed a familiar issue: the team’s back line remains a concern.
There are some obvious reasons for that. Key personnel have been unavailable, but the defensive problems are not new. Last season under Arne Slot, a lack of depth and quality left Liverpool with one of the loosest defensive records in modern club history.
That is why Iraola has needed help this summer. The departures of Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson increased the pressure, while the loan signing of Ronald Araújo from Barcelona offers a partial solution. Jérémy Jacquet has also joined after a transfer agreed in January.
Even so, doubts remain over the overall standard of the defensive group, and the manager faces difficult decisions before the Premier League opener away at Newcastle United.
The situation on the right side is especially troubling. Conor Bradley is still out for the foreseeable future after the knee injury he suffered last January, and Joe Gomez is once again dealing with fitness problems. That leaves Liverpool with a recurring issue at right back.
Araújo should help, even if his natural role is at centre back. He has played at right back before, and his pace and power make him a viable option if Iraola does not trust the out-of-form Jeremie Frimpong or the underwhelming Calvin Ramsay.
At centre back, though, Araújo may be needed even more. Virgil van Dijk, now 35, played almost every match last season and remains hugely important, although he is not the same defender he once was. Gomez is injured too, while Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from the ACL tear suffered on his debut last September and is unlikely to play meaningful minutes before winter.
That puts pressure on Jacquet, who has his own injury concerns after being out since last February with shoulder and knee problems. He is expected to feature in the final preseason match against Como next weekend, but Iraola will need to handle him carefully.
Left back looks much clearer. Milos Kerkez is first choice after Robertson’s exit, with Kostas Tsimikas providing backup after a disappointing loan at Roma in 2025-26.
There is also no debate over the goalkeeper position. Alisson missed much of 2025-26 through injury, but remains one of the best in the world when fit and is clearly preferred to Giorgi Mamardashvili. Kerkez’s rise and Van Dijk’s leadership give Liverpool some structure, yet the balance of the defence still demands careful management.
