Alisson Becker wants to stay at Liverpool. After a week in which his side lost to Arsenal and then Fenerbahce, the goalkeeper produced a string of saves at Crystal Palace and then spoke openly for the first time this season about a contract that expires in June 2027.
"Yes, in my mind," he said when asked if he wanted to stay beyond this season. "I'm focused on playing every game but in my mind I'm happy to stay." He added that it depends on many aspects and situations, but that his will is to remain, because he and his family are happy on Merseyside.
Hungry for titles at 34
Alisson is 34. He joined from Roma for 66.8 million pounds in 2018 and has made 347 appearances for the club. He says the appetite has not dimmed: he is still hungry for titles and for good performances, and wants to play at the top level for as long as he can.
No formal talks have started, at least not in the way a supporter might picture them. "No, but my agent is talking with the club," Alisson said when asked about conversations over a new deal. Head coach Andoni Iraola said last week he did not know whether this would be Alisson's last season but hoped the Brazilian could carry on for longer. The keeper also looked at a move to Juventus earlier this year before choosing to stay at Anfield.
Consistency is the missing piece
On the wider picture, Alisson was frank. Liverpool, he said, are not doing as well as they can. They have good results in plenty of games, but the consistency is not there yet. His point was that the squad has a top manager and top players, yet still needs to reach the stage where it believes it has everything required to win. He said the team is building towards that and hopes it arrives quickly, though it takes patience and the players feel they have no time to waste.
The numbers back up his reading of it. Liverpool have four clean sheets in ten Premier League games and have conceded ten goals in four Champions League matches, with Alisson playing every minute of both competitions. His distribution has dipped in recent weeks, and Arsenal punished it. The saves at Selhurst Park were a reminder of what he still offers.
A big call for Julian Ward
This is a decision for sporting director Julian Ward, and it is not simple. Giorgi Mamardashvili, 26, is already at the club. Highly rated 18-year-old Lucca Brughmans arrives from Genk in the summer. Letting Alisson leave on a free would be a significant call, especially with Virgil van Dijk's deal also running out at the end of the season and Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson already gone.
Alisson weighed his options last season and settled for a one-year extension. A similar short deal could suit Liverpool, giving Brughmans time to learn from him, but at 34 he may want something longer. Alisson is also one of Iraola's vice-captains. If he keeps playing the way he did at Palace, a new contract starts to look like the obvious answer.
Contract context: Alisson Becker, 34, joined Liverpool from Roma in 2018 for 66.8m pounds, 347 appearances, contract expires June 2027. Replacement options at the club: Giorgi Mamardashvili (26) and Lucca Brughmans (18, arriving from Genk in the summer). Source: BBC Sport.
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