Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has said he felt “very sad” after he was not offered a new contract at the club, but chose to stay over the summer amid opportunities to leave.
Speaking at a news conference before the Reds open their Champions League league phase campaign against Atlético Madrid, Mac Allister confirmed the decision was conveyed to him over summer.
He was left disappointed that his midfield colleagues Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai were offered a deal, while he was not.
“I received the news that the club was not in a position to offer me a new contract, which of course makes me very, very sad,” he said on Tuesday.
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“Because I think everyone can see that I give my 100% for this club, every single day in training, games … I always give my best.
“Of course, for example, I see Dominik [Szoboszlai] and Ryan [Gravenberch], renewing their contracts, and that makes me very happy because I deserve it.
“But it also makes me a little sad that I didn’t get mine.
“There were options to leave this summer, and I think right now I’m in the right club, and I have the right mindset to give 100% for this club.”
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Andoni Iraola, who was speaking at the news conference alongside the Argentine, was non-committal when asked if he hoped the situation would change.
“At the end, we all have personal situations, we all have different contracts with the club. In this case for me the important thing is that he wants to be here,” he said.
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“In the footballing side, we haven’t been together a lot of time but … But he has been important and has played a lot of minutes, that I rate him very highly. And definitely, there is time to talk about those contract situations.”
The new Liverpool boss is preparing his first Champions League match in his career, and is confident Mac Allister will play his part across what will be a gruelling campaign in multiple competitions.
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“I’ve not had any conversations with him about it [the contract], but when I see the way he wants us to play I think this can be a successful year. This is why this is the right club and the right moment to be here,” Iraola said.
“I want to win trophies. We have the right players and right mentality to go and do great things but everyone had to be on the same page.”
Information from PA contributed to this report.
