Liverpool
Mac Allister confirms no contract talks as Liverpool manage a complex midfield picture
Mac Allister says there are no contract talks with Liverpool as transfer interest persists for now.
Alexis Mac Allister has plainly confirmed that there have been no fresh contract discussions with Liverpool, a statement that arrives amid growing speculation about his future. “In terms of me, we are not in contract talks but I’m not in a rush and that’s only a fact,” Mac Allister told reporters at a press conference before Liverpool face Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Liverpool’s approach to contracts has often involved beginning negotiations around two years before expiry, and the club’s recent handling of other midfielders has drawn attention. Ryan Gravenberch signed a new long-term contract this month, taking his salary to fourth on the club’s payroll. Having joined at the same time as Mac Allister just under three years ago, that deal raises questions over why Mac Allister is not yet in the same process.
Dominik Szoboszlai, another 2023 arrival, has not signed a new contract yet. ESPN reported last month that Liverpool view the Hungarian as a “potential future captain” and are keen to “reward” his form in an otherwise difficult campaign. Talks with Szoboszlai are said to have begun earlier this season.
With roughly two years remaining on many top players’ deals, the timing becomes relevant for both club and player. Two years before the end of a contract is potentially a good time to sell. For Mac Allister, aged 27, whatever contract he signs next ought to be the biggest of his career and the one that defines him. He could stay with Liverpool into his thirties, or pursue a new elite challenge at his peak.
Interest from Real Madrid previously surfaced when Carlo Ancelotti was manager; that initial approach reportedly received an encouraging response from the Mac Allister camp but did not progress. Now that Los Blancos are described as needing a midfield overhaul after opting against replacing Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić, the suggestion is they could be interested again.
In November last year, Mac Allister’s father, Carlos, said that while it is important to “respect” Liverpool, there is a need to be “prudent” in the future should an “opportunity” arrive. He also described it as “nice” for his son to be linked with teams like Real Madrid.
Liverpool
Mbappe reveals why Liverpool move was rejected for PSG
Mbappé explains why he chose PSG over Liverpool in 2017, despite Klopp and his mother’s support.
Kylian Mbappé has explained for the first time why he chose Paris Saint-Germain over Liverpool in 2017, despite strong encouragement from his mother and co-representative, Fayza Lamari.
At the time, Liverpool had made a serious push for the forward, with Jürgen Klopp winning over Lamari during the pursuit. She visited the city, the stadium and met the people, and came away convinced the club was special. Mbappé recalled how firmly she backed the move, saying: “My mom was a big fan of Jürgen Klopp and the favourite destination for my mom was Liverpool . She wanted me to go there,” Mbappé told The Athletic . “I didn’t listen because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I was someone. But yes, my mom was always saying ‘Liverpool—you’re going to be there, playing at Anfield, it’s going to be insane for you.’ I was like, ‘O.K.!’
“She went there [for] the first step of the negotiations. She went to the city, she went to the stadium, she met the people. She was like, ‘It’s a wonderful club, everybody’s so kind, it’s a family club, a big club.’
“She went to Anfield and fell in love with it. She watched a few games alone, to feel the atmosphere, because she wanted to imagine me in this stadium.
“All the time we were talking. ‘What do you think, Mom?’ She’d say, ‘For me, you have to go to Liverpool. I said, ‘O.K., O.K., O.K.!’ because Jürgen Klopp was an amazing manager. I met him and had a wonderful relationship with him. I had big respect for him.”
Klopp later described the attempt as “the most expensive non-transfer we [Liverpool] invested in,” and recalled the unusual private-jet meetings that took place during the chase. But Mbappé made clear that his mind was elsewhere. “I said to him, ‘Whatever decision I take is going to be a good decision because we are talking about some of the biggest clubs in the world.’
“It’s a funny story. But in the end I took the decision to go to PSG because for me, born and raised in Paris, there was no better feeling than to show I could be a star in my home town.”
His mother had one final reaction after the PSG move. “You’re a genius at football, Kylian,” Mbappé’s mother told him in the summer of 2017 when he moved to PSG. “Aren’t you going to be bored in Ligue 1?”
Liverpool
Mac Allister steps back from contract comments as Liverpool call remains unresolved
Mac Allister says his contract comments came from emotion, not criticism, as Liverpool weigh his future.
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.
Bournemouth
Carragher urges Iraola to confront Wirtz question after another subdued outing
Carragher says Iraola may soon have to decide on Wirtz after another low-impact Liverpool display.
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.”
