Alisson's Future: Iraola's First Major Decision at Liverpool

Andoni Iraola has not even signed on the dotted line at Liverpool yet, but his first major decision is already looming large: what to do with Alisson.

The incoming head coach is expected to hold decisive talks with the Brazilian as soon as he arrives, with Liverpool desperate for clarity on whether their long‑time No 1 will stay at Anfield beyond the summer. Those conversations could shape not only the dressing room hierarchy, but the entire look of Liverpool’s next era.

Slot sacked, Iraola steps into the storm

Arne Slot believed he had the backing of the Liverpool hierarchy heading into next season. He had, after all, delivered the club’s 20th Premier League title in his debut campaign – an achievement that usually buys time, patience, and a fair bit of goodwill.

It wasn’t enough.

An end-of-season review led by Fenway Sports Group, with chief executive Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes at the forefront, ended with Slot’s dismissal on Saturday. The second season had unravelled badly, the football lost its edge, and crucially, the Dutchman lost the fans. Once that bond broke, the decision from above followed.

Liverpool have moved quickly. Talks with Iraola will intensify in the coming days as the club push to finalise his appointment before the World Cup kicks off on June 11. Hughes knows exactly what he is getting; he was the man who brought the Basque coach to Bournemouth in July 2023 and remains a firm admirer.

But as Iraola prepares to walk into Anfield, one of the pillars of the modern Liverpool side is already edging towards the exit.

Alisson ready to tell Iraola: my Liverpool chapter is over

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Alisson plans to tell the new coach that he considers his Liverpool career finished. For Juventus, that message has reignited belief that they can finally prise the goalkeeper away from Merseyside.

The Italian side are said to have an agreement in principle with Alisson over an initial three-year contract, with an option for a further 12 months. From their perspective, the groundwork is done. They are waiting on Liverpool.

For now, Liverpool have blocked any move. The club do not want to lose another leader in a summer already braced for upheaval. But that stance could soften once Iraola and Hughes sit down and map out the new goalkeeper hierarchy.

If Iraola decides to build around Giorgi Mamardashvili as his first-choice keeper, or demands a different signing to fit his style, the door could swing open for Alisson to head to Turin. The decision is no longer just about sentiment or past glories; it is about how Iraola wants his team to play from day one.

Brighton’s Verbruggen on Liverpool radar

Liverpool have not been caught cold by Alisson’s stance. On May 15, Bart Verbruggen of Brighton & Hove Albion was identified as a potential successor to the Brazilian, a long-term option who fits the club’s recruitment profile.

Even so, the idea of losing Alisson still cuts deep at Anfield. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are already heading for the exit this summer, taking with them a huge chunk of experience, personality, and know-how from the dressing room. Ibrahima Konate has confirmed he will also leave on a free transfer after contract talks collapsed.

Stripping out that many senior figures in one window is a risk. Removing Alisson on top of that would be seismic.

Yet the goalkeeper is pushing. He wants a guaranteed No 1 role, not a battle for minutes with Mamardashvili or anyone else. Juventus are offering that status, and that promise is powerful for a player who has spent years as one of the game’s elite.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are pressing ahead on another front. Work is already under way to secure their preferred successor to Salah, a first-choice attacking signing who will be asked to carry a significant share of the goals and responsibility next season.

So Iraola walks into a club at a crossroads. A title in the recent past, a fanbase demanding more, and a spine of the team threatening to break apart. His first conversation with Alisson will not just be about a goalkeeper’s future.

It will be an early test of who really shapes Liverpool’s new era.