Liverpool looks doomed to lose one key star to Real Madrid this summer. Now, Alexis Mac Allister’s father has commented on transfer links to the Bernabeu.
Liverpool has had major success in establishing itself as a destination club over the past decade. But if there is one club that still threatens this status, it is Real Madrid, and Alexis Mac Allister’s father has commented on some unwelcome transfer speculation.
There was a time in the not-too-distant past where it felt inevitable that the very best players would leave Anfield. But bit by bit, Jurgen Klopp changed that culture by bringing such huge success, with Philippe Coutinho’s departure to Barcelona the last major transfer that could really be classed as against the club’s wishes
It should be no real surprise that players (including those funded by the Coutinho sale) have not been in a rush to leave Liverpool since then. The Reds reached the Champions League final within six months of his departure, went back and won it the following year, and then claimed the Premier League title
So it is that Arne Slot has inherited a club which has the power to attract and retain most top players. But there is a very small handful of rivals who can still provide transfer headaches.
Manchester City is one, with the financial clout and the competitive credentials to offer stiff competition in pursuit of just about any player. But in terms of snatching players directly from Liverpool, it’s hard to imagine anybody making the move from Anfield to the Etihad — the last to do so was Raheem Sterling.
Perhaps the only other club in such a bracket is Real Madrid. The opponent in two out of Liverpool’s three Champions League finals of the last decade (winning both), it has a European pedigree unmatched anywhere else
That looks as though it will even be enough to tempt Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool’s vice-captain and Academy graduate. This will bring a painful end to the long stretch without any unwanted departures from Anfield
But hopefully this will prove to be the exception rather than the new rule. Mac Allister may well be a useful litmus test, especially given the stereotypical South American fascination with Spain’s big two
Quietly one of Liverpool’s best performers this season, there have been a few whispers about Real Madrid. But his father has given an encouraging update on that speculation.
“There’s nothing to comment,” he told WinWin. “Alexis is very happy at Liverpool and hopes to be crowned Premier League champion, then enjoy a break he didn’t get last year
“It’s important to value and respect the institution he’s playing for, so any comment from us would be unnecessary. He has a contract until 2028. He’s happy at the club. Let’s hope he stays there.”
That all sounds highly positive. Mac Allister would be every bit as big of a loss as Alexander-Arnold, having been one of the most consistent players at Liverpool since his arrival in 2023, at a price which looks like more of a bargain every week.
The World Cup winner appears to be perfectly at home at Liverpool. So while Alexander-Arnold may have had his head turned, it would be wrong to expect an exodus, and certainly not one led by Mac Allister — it’s not quite from the horse’s mouth, but the horse’s father is surely the next best thing