Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has said he intends to keep both Alexis Mac Allister and Alisson at the club as he begins his first season in charge, while acknowledging the squad is short of numbers at the back with Hugo Ekitiké and Conor Bradley both out for months. Mac Allister was linked with Real Madrid immediately after Argentina's World Cup final defeat by Spain, while Alisson had previously been strongly linked with Juventus; Iraola's comments are intended to settle speculation over both players' futures just as the club enters pre-season under new leadership.

Speaking from Liverpool's US pre-season tour in Chicago, Iraola praised Mac Allister's World Cup form and said he was more focused on signing new players than losing existing ones, though the midfielder, under contract until 2028, is unlikely to be fully fit for the opening league game at Newcastle. He also confirmed Alisson would remain as first-choice goalkeeper alongside Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman, with Armin Pecsi sent out on loan, and praised the Brazilian's dressing-room experience. On defensive injuries, Iraola said Stefan Bajcetic and Wataru Endo were close to returning, Giovanni Leoni was next in line, but Bradley and Ekitiké remained "months" away, with the head coach describing Liverpool's defensive options as "very thin".