Liverpool Eye Surprise Midfielder as Mac Allister Future Wavers

Liverpool are making enquiries for a surprise midfield signing this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, at the same time as Alexis Mac Allister’s long-term future at Anfield has moved firmly into question – a pairing of stories that tells you something meaningful about where FSG believe the midfield currently stands.

Romano reported the outreach as active, characterising Liverpool’s interest as genuine calls rather than passive monitoring. The identity of the target has not been confirmed, which is what makes it a surprise by Romano’s own framing – the name, when it emerges, is not expected to be an obvious one.

What Romano Has Actually Said on Mac Allister

On Mac Allister specifically, Romano has been careful but unambiguous in signalling movement. He reported that “there are some clubs starting to look at the situation” of the Argentine and that his future “could be interesting this summer in case of good proposals for Liverpool and for the player.” That is not vague transfer noise – that is a named journalist flagging that Liverpool are, at minimum, open to serious bids.

Mac Allister joined from Brighton in the summer of 2023, with Liverpool triggering a buyout clause believed to be below the widely reported £60m figure. He signed a five-year deal running to 2028. His debut season under Jürgen Klopp was strong; his 2025/26 campaign under Arne Slot has been markedly less so, with concerns mounting internally over his athleticism and consistency.

The player himself has done nothing to quell the uncertainty. Asked about contract talks, Mac Allister said plainly: “We are not in contract talks but I’m not in a rush and that’s only a fact.” That is not the language of a player whose club is actively trying to keep him. It is the language of a situation with no resolution in sight.

The Wharton Link and What It Signals

The name being most prominently attached to Liverpool’s midfield rebuild ambitions is Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. TalkSPORT and others have reported Liverpool are in the race for the 22-year-old, with Palace expected to demand at least £80m. That is a significant outlay for a player with fewer than two full top-flight seasons to his name, but Wharton’s reading of the game and defensive output give him a profile quite different from Mac Allister’s – which is arguably the point.

Liverpool’s midfield rebuild has been a rolling project since the wholesale 2023 departures of Henderson, Fabinho, Keita, Milner, and Oxlade-Chamberlain. The arrivals of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Endo, and Gravenberch reshaped the department, but the club’s managerial and structural overhaul has continued to shift the criteria for what the midfield should look like. A sale of Mac Allister, if it materialises, would be part of that ongoing recalibration rather than a panic move.

It is also worth noting that Mac Allister is not the only midfielder whose situation at Anfield is unresolved. Curtis Jones has also been linked with a departure, with Inter Milan among the clubs monitoring him. Liverpool may be managing two simultaneous midfield exits, not one, while simultaneously pursuing replacements.

Real Madrid and the Noise Around Other Suitors

Spanish outlet AS reported on June 3 that Real Madrid have Mac Allister on a midfield shortlist. No formal bid has followed. Romano has been equally clear that Manchester United’s reported interest is currently without substance – “nothing advanced or concrete” was his characterisation of that link.

This sits within a summer where Liverpool are pursuing changes across multiple positions. The club’s attacking rebuild plans have been well documented; the midfield picture is now developing alongside them.

The Verdict

The honest read is this: Mac Allister is not being pushed out the door, but Liverpool are not fighting to keep him either. Romano’s framing – open to good proposals, clubs starting to look – is the language of a club that has quietly lowered the drawbridge. The surprise midfield target, whoever it is, may well be the reason why.