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 three reasons why Andoni Iraola wants to keep Alexis Mac Allister at the club for the 2026-27 campaign.

Mac Allister's 2025-26 season was underwhelming from a personal perspective, in spite of a respectable five goals and seven assists in all competitions, as Reds fans noticed an overall decline in his performance levels.

However, the 27-year-old pushed his domestic problems to one side to excel for Argentina in the World Cup, starting seven of his country's eight games as La Albiceleste achieved a runners-up finish.

Mac Allister is now in the last two years of his Anfield deal, but Iraola has confirmed that he wants him to stay at Liverpool, following uncorroborated claims of interest from Real Madrid.

Now, McAllister has highlighted Mac Allister's long-standing fitness issues as a key factor in his overall struggles last term, and noted his ability to score goals, create goals and operate as a pure box-to-box midfielder as reasons for Iraola wanting him to stick around.

Three reasons why Andoni Iraola wants Alexis Mac Allister at Liverpool

"Even going way back to pre-season last year, he was nursing injuries the entire time," McAllister said. "I just felt as if he never quite got fully fit, not getting a pre-season under your belt makes the season very difficult.

"I thought he was a wee bit stop-start as well. As much as he played a lot of games towards the second half of the season, I just didn’t think he got his core fitness. I think he’s had a busy summer, and he definitely looked sharper around his whole body during the World Cup.

"You can understand why the manager wants to keep him because, when fit and playing well, Mac Allister is a great asset. He can score a goal and he can make a goal. You know, he can get box-to-box, which is something Iraola wants in these midfielders.

"I think he’ll be buoyed by the World Cup. Obviously, he’ll be disappointed with the way it ended, but I think he’ll know in his head that he’ll have a lot of confidence going into this season, knowing he had a good tournament. I thought he was one of Argentina’s best.

"With the new manager coming in, this season is one for Alexis to really show what he’s made of."

When will Alexis Mac Allister return for Liverpool?

Neither Iraola nor Liverpool fans will get a good glimpse of Mac Allister in pre-season, as it has not even been two weeks since the midfielder competed in the World Cup final for Argentina.

Players must be granted a mandatory three-week summer holiday following their final competitive appearance, which means that any man who played in the World Cup final is not required to return before August 9.

On that exact date, Liverpool face Monaco in their penultimate pre-season friendly, but it would be a shock to see the former Brighton & Hove Albion man involved in that fixture.

Instead, Mac Allister's first and only pre-season appearance for Liverpool this summer should come in their battle with Como at Anfield a week later, before Iraola's side open their Premier League season against Newcastle United on August 23.

In between now and August 9, Liverpool tackle Wrexham in New York on Wednesday, before rounding off their USA tour against Leeds United in Chicago on August 2.

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