Liverpool: Three reasons why Andoni Iraola wants to keep Alexis Mac Allister as 2025-26 struggles explained

Former Liverpool midfielder Gary McAllister - speaking exclusively to Sports Mole - has highlighted 3 reasons wherefore Andoni Iraola wants to support Alexis Mac Allister astatine the nine for the 2026-27 campaign.

Mac Allister's 2025-26 play was underwhelming from a idiosyncratic perspective, successful spite of a respectable 5 goals and 7 assists successful each competitions, arsenic Reds fans noticed an wide diminution successful his show levels.

However, the 27-year-old pushed his home problems to 1 broadside to excel for Argentina successful the World Cup, starting 7 of his country's 8 games arsenic La Albiceleste achieved a runners-up finish.

Mac Allister is present successful the past 2 years of his Anfield deal, but Iraola has confirmed that helium wants him to enactment astatine Liverpool, pursuing uncorroborated claims of involvement from Real Madrid.

Now, McAllister has highlighted Mac Allister's long-standing fittingness issues arsenic a cardinal origin successful his wide struggles past term, and noted his quality to people goals, make goals and run arsenic a axenic box-to-box midfielder arsenic reasons for Iraola wanting him to instrumentality around.

Three reasons wherefore Andoni Iraola wants Alexis Mac Allister astatine Liverpool

"Even going mode backmost to pre-season past year, helium was nursing injuries the full time," McAllister said. "I conscionable felt arsenic if helium ne'er rather got afloat fit, not getting a pre-season nether your loop makes the play precise difficult.

"I thought helium was a wee spot stop-start arsenic well. As overmuch arsenic helium played a batch of games towards the 2nd fractional of the season, I conscionable didn’t deliberation helium got his halfway fitness. I deliberation he’s had a engaged summer, and helium decidedly looked sharper astir his full assemblage during the World Cup.

"You tin recognize wherefore the manager wants to support him because, erstwhile acceptable and playing well, Mac Allister is simply a large asset. He tin people a extremity and helium tin marque a goal. You know, helium tin get box-to-box, which is thing Iraola wants successful these midfielders.

"I deliberation he’ll beryllium buoyed by the World Cup. Obviously, he’ll beryllium disappointed with the mode it ended, but I deliberation he’ll cognize successful his caput that he’ll person a batch of assurance going into this season, knowing helium had a bully tournament. I thought helium was 1 of Argentina’s best.

"With the caller manager coming in, this play is 1 for Alexis to truly amusement what he’s made of."

When volition Alexis Mac Allister instrumentality for Liverpool?

Neither Iraola nor Liverpool fans volition get a bully glimpse of Mac Allister successful pre-season, arsenic it has not adjacent been 2 weeks since the midfielder competed successful the World Cup last for Argentina.

Players indispensable beryllium granted a mandatory three-week summertime vacation pursuing their last competitory appearance, which means that immoderate antheral who played successful the World Cup last is not required to instrumentality earlier August 9.

On that nonstop date, Liverpool look Monaco successful their penultimate pre-season friendly, but it would beryllium a daze to spot the erstwhile Brighton & Hove Albion antheral progressive successful that fixture.

Instead, Mac Allister's archetypal and lone pre-season quality for Liverpool this summertime should travel successful their conflict with Como astatine Anfield a week later, earlier Iraola's broadside unfastened their Premier League play against Newcastle United connected August 23.

In betwixt present and August 9, Liverpool tackle Wrexham successful New York connected Wednesday, earlier rounding disconnected their USA circuit against Leeds United successful Chicago connected August 2.

Gary McAllister was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of Lottoland, who connection the latest football betting odds.