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Liverpool are at risk of losing a third star to Real Madrid in as many years, with Alexis Mac Allister having become a key target for Jose Mourinho.
Unlike other big clubs, Los Blancos and Liverpool both mostly refrained from revamping their respective midfields. Real Madrid only brought in Bernardo Silva for the engine room, but that was more a case of the club pouncing on a market opportunity rather than seeking a long-term fix.
The Spanish giants missed out on Rodri to El Clasico rivals Barcelona, so the lack of a midfield general continues to plague them. Mourinho has experimented with various combinations in the centre of the park and seems to have found a winning formula in recent games.
Whether the current approach is really sustainable remains to be seen. Against Barcelona at the weekend, Mourinho’s midfield was mostly occupied with disrupting rather than orchestrating, which isn’t really Real Madrid’s style. Of course, nobody will care if it continues to yield results.
The fact of the matter, though, is that the midfield remains very much under construction, and it is no surprise that Sky Germany reports that Los Blancos are fully expected to sign at least one new player for that department next summer.
Real Madrid want Mac Allister
And according to the German outlet, Mourinho has become infatuated with Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister, who seems to have firmly bounced back after a disappointing 2025/26 season. He has arguably been Andoni Iraola’s best and most reliable player this season.
Given reports around the Argentine’s contract situation, this new information regarding Real Madrid making him a top target for 2027 is hugely intriguing. In fact, if recent history suggests anything, then there is already a clear direction of travel: Mac Allister is heading to Spain.
Over the past two years, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate both ran down their Liverpool contracts to join the Madrid giants, and it appears that Mac Allister will be the next player to take this well-trodden path, even if he is still tied to Liverpool until 2028.
Last weekend, Ben Jacobs reported that Liverpool had decided against offering the 27-year-old fresh terms – at least for now. That’s despite Mac Allister’s form and his public comments over the summer, expressing disappointment with the lack of a new contract.
This has now been backed up by Sky Germany, which reports that there is currently no indication that Mac Allister will be handed an extension. With his deal up in 2028, that means he will have to be sold next year.
Liverpool themselves are planning to sign at least one new midfielder in 2027 and are ready to sacrifice Mac Allister to do so, with Bournemouth star Alex Scott a key target. Lamine Camara and Manu Kone are also on the Reds’ radar.
This isn’t the first time that Mac Allister has been linked with Real Madrid. There were already rumours in the summer when he was reportedly being offered around by intermediaries. Man Utd and Man City were also associated with a possible move.
Clearly, though, a move to Real Madrid is much more realistic, and with Mourinho now actively pushing for Mac Allister’s signing, a move looks to be on the cards. How much Los Blancos would have to pay for the Liverpool ace remains to be seen.
His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at a sizeable €61.9 million, although this will surely drop once he enters the final 12 months of his contract.
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