There’s been plenty of discussion around Alexis Mac Allister after our Champions League exit, but one comment from Gary Neville has raised more than a few eyebrows.
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Speaking on Stick to Football via The Overlap, Neville questioned how Liverpool might fund a rebuild this summer, and in doing so made a surprising remark about the Argentine midfielder.
Neville’s Mac Allister claim analysed
Discussing potential outgoings, Neville said: “Who would Liverpool sell to be able to buy to strengthen what you’ve got, Mac Allister who’s obviously coming towards the end.
“You’ve got Van Dijk who’s coming towards the end. You’ve got Salah and Robertson leaving, who would at least freeing up wages.”
It’s a comment that feels harsh when you consider Mac Allister is still firmly in his prime years, yet his performances in comparison to last season have not been as impressive.
Against PSG, the World Cup winner wasn’t at his best, registering a 6.4 Sofascore rating before being replaced by Curtis Jones after 74 minutes, but that performance doesn’t have to mean that the former Brighton man is nearing the end of his time at the top level.
Liverpool facing real summer questions
What Neville does touch on, though, is the wider reality that Arne Slot has already acknowledged, because the Dutchman admitted after the defeat that “we have to sell to buy,” pointing towards a significant summer ahead.
There are clearly decisions to be made around certain areas of the squad, particularly with senior figures like Andy Robertson and Mo Salah confirmed to be leaving, while uncertainty also surrounds players potentially leaving on free transfers.
At the same time, David Ornstein has reported that the club’s hierarchy intend to stick with Slot regardless of whether Champions League football is secured, which suggests the rebuild will be carried out under the current manager rather than through another reset.
Grouping Mac Allister into that “coming towards the end” category feels premature and with Arne Slot clearly trusting the former Brighton man and having the backing of the board – his days may not be numbered.
We have always under FSG been a club that has to sell to buy what a lot of individuals whom scoff at the figures spent £450m that was not the net spend as we had outgoings such as Diaz and how he has been missed this season.
If Arne Slot is to survive then the CL qualification is something he should be expected to deliver.
It will be interesting to see how many players are sold/leave and how this impacts the depth of squad with Ekitike being injured it is critical the right balance is found