Alexis Mac Allister Rejects Manchester City Move for Liverpool Commitment
Alexis Mac Allister has given Manchester City their answer. It’s no.
City sounded out the Liverpool midfielder as a serious alternative to Enzo Fernandez, but the Argentina international has shut the door on a move, choosing instead to commit his immediate future to Anfield.
City reshaping, Mac Allister unmoved
This is a summer of upheaval in the Manchester City midfield. Bernardo Silva is off to Real Madrid on a free. Rodri is on course to join Barcelona. Tijjani Reijnders is heading to Al Qadsiah.
Coming in are Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and, City hope, one more high-end addition to anchor Enzo Maresca’s new-look side.
Their dream target is clear: Enzo Fernandez. Maresca wants a reunion with the Chelsea midfielder, but the London club have drawn a hard line. A £120m bid must land by 5pm UK time or Fernandez stays put, with Chelsea vowing to ignore any offers later this month and in January.
Maresca has already hinted City are unlikely to launch anything that dramatic before the deadline. The message from the Etihad is caution, not chaos. The clock is ticking, but the £120m is not expected to arrive.
So City turned to alternatives. And that is where Alexis Mac Allister came in.
“My son will stay at Liverpool”
Interest from City was real. An approach was made, as later verified by TEAMtalk. Mac Allister listened – then shut it down.
His father, former professional Carlos Mac Allister, made the family’s stance crystal clear in comments carried by Fabrizio Romano: “My son will stay at Liverpool. We have not discussed any possibility of him leaving the club this summer.”
Those close to the player have echoed that line. City asked the question. The answer was firm. Mac Allister is staying at Liverpool.
TEAMtalk’s insider Graeme Bailey has detailed why the midfielder has no appetite to walk away, even after what’s described as a difficult 2025/26 campaign. The key figure in that decision? New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
Iraola factor keeps Liverpool’s No.10 locked in
Behind the scenes, Mac Allister is said to be energised by Iraola’s arrival. According to Bailey, an inside source close to the player’s representatives has revealed the midfielder is “more than happy” at Liverpool and eager to work under the Spaniard.
Those same sources indicate Mac Allister believes Iraola’s style and ideas suit him perfectly. He is excited by the role being mapped out for him and sees a chance to become central to the new manager’s plans, not just another cog in City’s star-studded machine.
The pull of Anfield, the promise of a prominent role, and the belief in Iraola’s project have combined to shut down City’s hopes.
Liverpool ready to reward their midfield anchor
Liverpool’s stance matches the player’s. There is no desire to cash in, no hint of a listening ear.
Bailey reports the club are already weighing up a new contract for Mac Allister, whose current deal has just under two years left to run. Liverpool want to extend his stay and reflect his importance with improved terms.
Talks are expected later this year, with the club keen to lock in a player they see as a pillar of the Iraola era rather than a short-term asset.
For now, Mac Allister’s focus is simple: get back to work, cement his status under Iraola, and drive Liverpool’s midfield through another reset.
City will move on to the next name. Mac Allister, by contrast, has made his choice. His future, at least for this summer, runs through Anfield.
