Alexis Mac Allister’s Liverpool career looked over last season.
He was slow, weak in duels and unimaginative going forward. Everything that he wasn’t when the Reds secured the Premier League title one campaign prior. Sometimes all it takes is a new head of hair and a new manager to deliver a new lease of life, however.
For Mac Allister, that’s exactly the case. Though Andoni Iraola should take more credit than the Argentine’s hair transplant over the summer.
The new manager took just one game before replacing Ryan Gravenberch with the former Brighton man, but that has not changed his contract status. And that’s an issue for Liverpool.
How Mac Allister revived his Liverpool career from the brink
The big issues under Arne Slot last season centred around work rate, fitness and weakness whenever asked to battle for a result.
Liverpool were a shadow of the side Jurgen Klopp proudly built and the one that won the Premier League title at the first time of asking under Slot in the 24/25 campaign.
They were so often overrun, outfought, outthought, and especially overloaded in the middle of the park. Slot’s system, particularly before he tried to salvage the situation by dropping off, so often left a baffling space between the frontline and midfield. It was inevitable that the likes of Mac Allister would become overloaded.
Things arguably became worse when Slot attempted to change things, too. Suddenly, there was no longer a functioning press around Mac Allister, whose physical attributes, or lack thereof, quickly became exposed.
Under Iraola, things are different. The Argentine star is putting in the legwork, platforming his best abilities correctly. Although the attack is yet to fully click, the result has been three straight clean sheets in the Premier League.
|
Alexis Mac Allister in the Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric (* = per 90 mins) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|
Minutes |
2,662 |
308 |
|
Distance covered * |
11.4 km |
11.1 km |
|
Duel success * |
45.2% |
50% |
|
Tackles * |
1.79 |
3.21 |
|
Line-breaking passes * |
6.19 |
14.32 |
The numbers are damning. In a deeper role, Mac Allister is in a position to break through the lines with his passing range rather than taking up the same areas as Florian Wirtz. He’s also winning more tackles and more duels despite covering less distance.
How Liverpool can replace Mac Allister in the transfer window
With the midfielder’s contract set to expire in 2028 and, by his own admission, no new deal on the way, Liverpool are already in talks with a replacement.
In another world, Liverpool would be squaring off against Lamine Camara at Stamford Bridge this season. Thanks to Everton, though, the midfielder is still a Monaco player. And that has left the door ajar for the Reds.
As reported by Caught Offside, Liverpool are now in talks with Camara’s representatives and look to be leading the chasing pack to secure his signature in 2027.
It would be some blow for Chelsea if the man who had a medical to become a late Xabi Alonso signing heads to Anfield just months later. For Iraola, however, it would arguably be the perfect signing for his system.
|
26/27 stats P90 |
Mac Allister |
Lamine Camara |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
308 |
450 |
|
Tackles |
3.21 |
5.2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
88.5% |
91.9% |
|
Duel success |
50% |
64.8% |
|
Recoveries |
5.55 |
9.2 |
As much as Mac Allister has been in improved form, Liverpool’s midfield pivot is still far from perfect. There remain question marks over Dominik Szoboszlai and whether his best role comes in a deep midfield duo.
The issue that Iraola has is that he needs Szoboszlai’s strengths out of possession to complement Mac Allister when in possession.
The Spaniard is simply using the best partnership that he currently has available. Meanwhile, though, there is an issue in the No.10 role as Florian Wirtz continues to struggle.
By signing Camara to replace Mac Allister, who could leave on a free transfer in 2028, Liverpool could kill two birds with one stone.
They could push Szoboszlai into the advanced midfield role, benching Wirtz in the process, and then have Camara partner Gravenberch without the concern of losing the Hungarian’s work rate or Mac Allister’s passing ability.
Under a manager who values work rate and counter-pressing more than most in the Premier League, the Monaco man would make perfect sense, especially if that new deal is not going to arrive for Mac Allister even after an upturn in form.
Dubbed “one of the best midfielders in the world” by Monaco boss Filipe Luis, Camara is certainly a man to watch this winter.