Alexis Mac Allister has cast doubt on his future at Liverpool, saying “there are plenty of options” with the club yet to offer him an extension on his two-year contract.
The Argentina midfielder was disappointed after Liverpool offered new contracts to Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai last summer but not him. Mac Allister nevertheless stayed at Anfield for this season despite having opportunities to leave.
“There’s no firm decision yet,” Mac Allister said. “I still have two years left on my contract. As I said, I’m going to give it my all. A lot can happen in that time; there are plenty of options.
“Hopefully it’ll be for more years, but if it’s just two, I’ll have to enjoy them with my family, because I have no doubt that I’m at one of the best clubs in the world.”
Mac Allister also discussed the future of Argentina without Lionel Messi, who has scored 125 goals in 207 appearances and is the country’s most capped player.
The Liverpool midfielder said Argentina must adapt to the eventual absence of the 39-year-old, while paying tribute to Messi’s contribution to the national team.
“The words for Messi are always the same: gratitude, and the realisation that there will never be another like him. We’ve enjoyed our time with him immensely,” he said.
“We’re also grateful to him for everything he’s helped us win. It’s sure to be a very emotional occasion [his farewell].”
He added: “It will be a different process with new players coming in. We need to start realising that the best player in the world, the one who made all the difference, won’t be there anymore, and that we’ll have to grow stronger as a team. That will be the most important thing.”
Mac Allister also backed Messi’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, pointing to his performances at the World Cup while acknowledging the growing importance of statistics in the voting process.
“Yes, obviously, as Argentines we’d love for Messi to win it,” Mac Allister said. “He had an incredible World Cup and I don’t see why he shouldn’t be awarded it.”
