Romano drops hint as Liverpool’s summer shake-up puts Mac Allister on the brink

Just a year on from lifting the Premier League trophy, Liverpool find themselves knee-deep in a full-blown summer reset. Andoni Iraola is in after the club parted ways with Arne Slot, and the churn has started in earnest. Now, Fabrizio Romano reckons Alexis Mac Allister could be the next big name to leave — if the numbers stack up for club and player alike.

Iraola era begins with big departures

The Reds are already waving off three heavy-hitters. Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté are set to depart at the end of their contracts, while Mohamed Salah is also leaving. That’s not just talent out the door — it’s dressing-room clout, leadership and a chunk of Liverpool’s title-winning backbone from 2024–25. Iraola’s first challenge is obvious: patch those holes without losing the team’s bite.

Mac Allister under the microscope

Signed in a deal rising to around £55m, Mac Allister didn’t quite hit the heights of the title campaign this past season. While Dominik Szoboszlai kept standards high, both the Argentine and Ryan Gravenberch struggled to find their best groove often enough. According to Romano, clubs are circling and Liverpool would be open to discussions if a proposal makes sense for all parties. Crucially, this isn’t a done deal — more a live topic that could develop as the window unfolds.

Midfield succession plan: enter Adam Wharton?

If Mac Allister goes, Liverpool won’t want to waste time. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is admired by the Anfield hierarchy, per reporting from Ben Jacobs. He’s a tidy operator with the engine and range to suit Iraola’s high-tempo, front-foot blueprint — the sort who can keep the ball moving under pressure and nick it back when the press bites.

Solving the Salah-sized problem out wide

The Reds are also working on wide options to offset Salah’s exit. Interest in a RB Leipzig wing talent has been progressing on the player side, but the Bundesliga club are holding firm for a premium fee. That negotiation will define a lot of what Liverpool can do elsewhere — get that right, and the rest of the puzzle becomes far easier to arrange.

Where this leaves Liverpool

In pure squad-building terms, a Mac Allister sale would free funds and minutes — but it would also remove a World Cup winner whose ceiling remains high. Iraola needs balance: energy and aggression without sacrificing control. Expect Liverpool to move decisively if the right bid lands, and equally to slam the door if it doesn’t. Either way, this window will shape the entire Iraola project.

For those tracking the market and speculating on where the value lies, check our best betting sites guide — it’s a handy companion to a frantic summer. But remember: transfer sagas twist quickly, and today’s certainty can become tomorrow’s U-turn.

Pundit’s verdict

This is a proper reset. If Romano’s read is right and Mac Allister becomes available, Liverpool will only bite if the replacement plan is watertight — Wharton in midfield, a top-tier wide man to soften the Salah blow. Get two of those three moves right and the Reds stay in the title conversation. Get them wrong, and Iraola’s first season turns into a scramble. The margins, as ever at the top, are razor thin.