Alisson's Future at Liverpool: Iraola's First Major Decision

Andoni Iraola has not even signed on the dotted line at Liverpool, yet his first major decision is already looming large: what to do with Alisson.

The incoming head coach is expected to hold immediate talks with the Brazilian once his appointment is finalised, with the goalkeeper ready to tell him he considers his Liverpool chapter closed, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. For a club already braced for a summer of upheaval, it is a brutal early test of resolve.

Slot out, Iraola in – and a power shift at the top

Arne Slot believed he had the backing to continue into next season. He had, after all, delivered Liverpool’s 20th Premier League title in his debut campaign, a landmark achievement that appeared to buy him time.

It didn’t.

An end-of-season review led by Fenway Sports Group chiefs, fronted by chief executive Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes, turned ruthless. The second season’s collapse, the loss of dressing-room momentum and, crucially, the loss of the fans, proved fatal. Slot was sacked on Saturday.

That decision has accelerated Liverpool’s move for Iraola. The club intend to ramp up talks in the coming days and are pushing to have the Basque coach in place before the World Cup kicks off on June 11. Hughes knows exactly what he is getting: he was the man who brought Iraola to Bournemouth in July 2023 and has remained a firm admirer.

Now, Hughes and Iraola must quickly align on the one position Liverpool have barely had to think about since 2018.

Alisson, Juventus and a stand-off at Anfield

Gazzetta reports that Alisson plans to make his stance crystal clear when he sits down with Iraola: he sees his Liverpool career as over.

Juventus, watching closely, have sensed an opening. Slot’s dismissal has “restored hope” in Turin that they can finally prise the 31-year-old away from Anfield. The Italian club are said to have reached an agreement in principle with Alisson on a three-year deal, with an option for a fourth.

For now, Liverpool have blocked any exit. The club hierarchy do not want to lose another pillar of the dressing room at a time when so many are walking out of the door. Mohamed Salah is leaving. Andy Robertson is leaving. Ibrahima Konaté has confirmed he will depart on a free after contract talks collapsed. That is a huge amount of experience and authority vanishing in a single window.

Letting Alisson go on top of that is not in the original script.

But the entire equation could change once Iraola has his say. If he decides to build his new Liverpool around a different goalkeeper – whether that means backing Giorgi Mamardashvili as his No 1 or pushing for another signing – the club’s resistance to a sale will come under strain. At that point, Juventus’ long courtship might finally pay off.

Mamardashvili, Verbruggen and the next No 1

Alisson, for his part, does not want to enter a battle for minutes. He wants guarantees. Juventus are prepared to offer them, promising him the undisputed No 1 role he craves.

Liverpool, aware that this standoff could end only one way, have already started planning. On May 15, it emerged that Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen has been identified as a potential successor between the posts. The Dutchman fits the profile: young, technically strong, and comfortable in a possession-based side.

Yet Liverpool’s preference remains clear. They would rather not lose Alisson at all. Replacing Salah, replacing Robertson, reshaping a defence that is losing Konaté on a free – that is already a heavy rebuild. Taking out the goalkeeper who has underpinned an era would turn a difficult summer into a full-scale reset.

Still, the player’s determination is hardening. He is eager to force through the move, and he does not want a season of uncertainty behind a new coach and alongside a rival such as Mamardashvili. For a keeper of his stature, the idea of sharing the stage does not appeal.

A defining call for Iraola and Hughes

Behind closed doors, the conversation will be blunt. Can Liverpool persuade Alisson that the project under Iraola is worth one more run? Or do they cash in now, avoid a destabilising saga, and hand the new manager the freedom to build his own spine?

Hughes and Iraola will have to make that call quickly. Liverpool are already “pushing” to secure their first-choice successor to Salah in attack. The shape of the rest of the summer – and perhaps the trajectory of the next cycle at Anfield – may hinge on whether they decide to fight for their world-class goalkeeper, or let him walk into Juventus’ arms and start again from the back.