Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is determined to keep midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson at the club.

Argentina international Mac Allister has two years remaining on the five-year contract he signed with Liverpool when he joined the Reds in 2023.

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The 27-year-old has yet to begin discussions for a new deal, leading to speculation about a potential exit from Anfield this summer.

However, during a news conference in Chicago at the start of Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States, Iraola expressed his desire to retain the player.

“I think Alexis has been one of the best players at the club for the last few years, and he has had a very good World Cup, so it is normal that other clubs want our best players,” Iraola stated.

“It always happens in other markets. But I want to keep my good players. I’m looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here.”

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Alisson, who has a year left on his contract at Anfield, has been linked with a transfer to Juventus. Nevertheless, Iraola aims to rely on the 33-year-old Brazilian’s experience in the upcoming season.

“I’m very happy with the situation we have right now in the goalkeeping area,” the Reds boss explained.

“Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience, I think he’s someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players.

“We need the references like Virgil [van Dijk], like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players that have been here for a long time.”

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Iraola acknowledged that he is also looking to bring in defensive reinforcements during the summer transfer window, particularly at right-back, as Conor Bradley is “months” away from a return.

The Northern Ireland international sustained a knee injury in January and will not be available for the start of the season.

“At the end, if you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go and we would not be asking ourselves these questions,” the Spaniard said.

“I think it’s a situation that is tricky because we trust Conor in the long term; we know we want him to be our right-back, but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning.

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“So, with the centre-back and right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, I think we are very thin right now, so I believe it’s a solution that we are trying to find, yes.”