Alexis Mac Allister change now clear as Liverpool approach contract decision

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Alexis Mac Allister has been a key player for Liverpool since arriving from Brighton but has suffered a difficult seasonFor a bubbling, expectant Anfield came the cue to finally begin celebrating. And it was wholly appropriate Alexis Mac Allister was the one to get the party truly started.Requiring victory over Tottenham Hotspur back in April to seal a record-equalling 20th championship with games to spare, Liverpool had fallen behind to an early strike from former striker Dominic Solanke before swiftly levelling through Luis Diaz.And the crowd was still bouncing from the Colombian's equaliser when Ryan Gravenberch won possession on the edge of the Tottenham area and rolled the ball back invitingly for Mac Allister to try his luck from 20 yards.READ MORE: Federico Chiesa 'deserves' Mohamed Salah place as Liverpool told to open talksREAD MORE: Micky van de Ven reveals Alexander Isak response after messaging injured Liverpool strikerVisiting goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario didn't even see it, Mac Allister's shot smashing into the top corner to spark a celebration that carried on long, long, long after the final whistle had been blown on an eventual 5-1 triumph.The Argentina international had already proven in his debut season at Liverpool that the initial £35million spent to take him from Brighton in the summer of 2023 was a bargain to rank alongside the canniest transfer deals in the club's history.But in helping Arne Slot's side claim the title, Mac Allister, already a World Cup winner in 2022, cemented himself as one of the finest midfielders on the planet.Yet that wild, emotional Anfield afternoon now represents something of a line in the sand for the player, who turned 27 on Christmas Eve.Mac Allister failed to start any of the final four games of last season as it emerged he had been nursing an injury that ultimately forced him out of Argentina's summer internationals, with a period of rest considered sufficient to solve the issue in time for pre-season.Except it didn't.

And with Mac Allister having then had his preparations disrupted, he was one of several Liverpool squad members playing catch-up in terms of fitness and sharpness during the opening months of the campaign.It hasn't been a straightforward task, although it is perhaps surprising to discover the only one of Liverpool's 26 games this season the midfielder has sat out through injury was the 3-2 win at Newcastle United back in August. But with just two assists, Mac Allister isn't contributing where it matters most and still too often appears a little off the pace.In fairness, his durability has improved in recent weeks having played the full 90 minutes in six of the last eight games without any obvious ill effects.And he is having to adjust to a change in position.

Last season's title challenge was forged on the defensive midfield pivot of Mac Allister and Gravenberch, but the duo started together only six times before November with Liverpool attempting to accommodate £116m Florian Wirtz in a new-look engine room while also making room for this season's stellar performer so far, Dominik Szoboszlai.And the upturn in form over the past few weeks has coincided with Mac Allister operating in the number 10 role ahead of Gravenberch and Curtis Jones, albeit with inconsistent individual results.The player, though, remains an important cog for Reds boss Slot, not least due to his versatility. With Mac Allister - who became a father for the first time in September - now halfway through the five-year contract signed on his arrival, Liverpool will be keen to begin concrete talks over a new deal, particularly with European Super League advocates Real Madrid reported long-time suitors.The more immediate focus, though, will be on again unlocking the full potential of the Argentine.