Alisson's Future: Key Decision for Iraola at Liverpool
Andoni Iraola has not even signed on the dotted line at Liverpool, but his first major decision is already looming large: what to do with Alisson.
The incoming head coach is expected to sit down with the Brazilian in the coming days for decisive talks over whether the goalkeeper’s Anfield career extends beyond the summer, according to reports in Italy. Those conversations will shape not just Liverpool’s goalkeeping department, but the tone of Iraola’s entire reign.
Slot out, Iraola in – and a shock reset at Anfield
Arne Slot believed he had the backing of the Liverpool hierarchy for next season. He had reason to. In his first campaign he delivered the club’s 20th Premier League title, restoring Liverpool to the summit of English football.
That credit vanished quickly.
A damaging second season, a fractured relationship with the fanbase and an unforgiving end‑of‑season review combined to end his tenure on Saturday. Fenway Sports Group, led by chief executive Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes, decided the Dutchman could not continue once it became clear he had lost the supporters.
With Slot gone, Liverpool have accelerated their move for Iraola. The club want the Basque coach in place before the World Cup kicks off on June 11, and talks are described as moving at pace. 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.
That familiarity will matter as they confront the most delicate issue of the summer.
Alisson ready to call time
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Alisson intends to tell Iraola face to face that he considers his Liverpool chapter closed.
Juventus have been circling for months. Slot’s dismissal has “restored hope” in Turin that they can finally pull the 31‑year‑old out of Anfield, and the Italian club are already understood to have an agreement in principle with the keeper over a three‑year deal, with an option for a fourth season.
Liverpool have so far blocked any exit. The club hierarchy do not want to sanction a sale, a stance that was underlined earlier this week and has not yet changed publicly. But that resistance may soften once Iraola and Hughes set out their vision.
If the new coach decides to build around a different profile of goalkeeper, the door could open.
Mamardashvili, Verbruggen and a brutal decision
One scenario sits on the table: Iraola backs Giorgi Mamardashvili as his long‑term No 1. The Georgian has been heavily linked and would arrive with the expectation of starting. Another possibility is that Liverpool move for a fresh first-choice entirely, with Alisson sacrificed to reshape the squad.
In that context, Juventus’ offer becomes harder to ignore. The Serie A giants are prepared to guarantee Alisson the undisputed No 1 role he craves. He does not want to spend the next phase of his career fighting for minutes or rotating; he wants the shirt, every week, and Juve are promising exactly that.
Liverpool have already started plotting contingencies. On May 15, Bart Verbruggen of Brighton & Hove Albion emerged as a leading candidate to replace Alisson if the club are forced into a changing of the guard. At 21, the Dutchman fits the profile of a long‑term project, a goalkeeper who could grow with a new‑look Liverpool under Iraola.
The dilemma is obvious. The timing is brutal.
Leaders walking out the door
This is not a normal summer at Anfield. Mohamed Salah is leaving. Andy Robertson is going too. Two pillars of the Klopp era, two of the dressing room’s loudest and most reliable voices, will not be there when pre‑season begins.
Ibrahima Konate has already confirmed he will depart on a free transfer after contract talks collapsed. Strip Alisson out of that group as well and Liverpool lose not just a world‑class goalkeeper, but another cornerstone of their leadership core.
That is why the club’s default stance has been to resist Juventus and hold the line. The dressing room is already being rebuilt; ripping out another foundation stone risks destabilising a squad that has only just climbed back to the top of the Premier League.
Yet Alisson’s determination is hardening. He wants the move. He wants clarity. And he does not want a summer of speculation about whether he can hold off Mamardashvili or any other challenger for his place.
A new era decided in a single meeting
So the stage is set.
On one side, a club trying to manage an unprecedented exodus of icons while staying competitive on all fronts. On the other, a goalkeeper who feels his Liverpool story has reached its natural end, and a Juventus side waiting for the green light.
In the middle stands Andoni Iraola, still to be officially unveiled, already faced with a call that will define his relationship with the squad and the supporters.
Liverpool are pushing ahead with plans to sign a first-choice successor to Salah. They may soon have to do the same for the man who has guarded their goal for a generation.
When Iraola and Alisson finally sit down, they will not just be talking about one player’s future. They will be deciding what kind of Liverpool walks into the new season.
