Alisson's Future at Liverpool: A Critical Decision Ahead

Liverpool are back in familiar territory. A key pillar of the team is edging towards the exit door, and nobody quite knows which way this one will break.

This time, it’s Alisson.

The Brazilian is into the final year of his contract at Anfield. He turns 34 in October, still commands a reported £250,000 a week and still operates like one of the best goalkeepers on the planet. The question facing Liverpool is brutally simple: commit to their long‑term No 1 again, or begin ripping off the plaster and move into a new era in goal.

Right now, there are no answers. Not even talks.

‘Too soon’ – but the clock is ticking

On The Athletic’s Walk On podcast, James Pearce cut through any optimism that a quiet breakthrough might be close. There isn’t one.

“Is he going to still be around next season? We don’t know that at the moment,” Pearce said. “From what I’ve been told, it’s just too soon on all sides. There’s not been those talks yet.”

Calm inside the club, perhaps. On the calendar, far less so.

If nothing changes, Alisson will be free to speak to clubs outside England from January and line up a pre-contract agreement. Earlier this year, Juventus were linked with him. That never hardened into a bid, but it underlined the obvious: if Alisson is available, Europe’s elite will circle quickly.

Liverpool have lived this movie before. Contract sagas dragging late into seasons. Uncertainty leaking into the stands. Supporters can feel it again.

A reminder of his worth

At Bournemouth at the weekend, Alisson offered the latest exhibit in his own case.

Liverpool won 1-0. They needed him to make sure of it. His stunning reflex stop to deny Evanilson was the kind of save that doesn’t just protect points, it defines seasons. It was a snapshot of why he has been treated as untouchable for so long, why he earns what he does, and why any decision to move on from him carries real risk.

But this is not just about one man anymore.

Mamardashvili waiting in the wings

Giorgi Mamardashvili arrived from Valencia last year as more than a squad filler. Inside the club, the Georgian is viewed as Alisson’s natural heir, the man to take the gloves for the next generation.

So far, he has waited. Patiently. From the bench.

Pearce underlined the tension building in that dynamic. Handing Alisson a new deal and reaffirming him as undisputed first choice doesn’t just lock down the veteran. It locks the door on Mamardashvili for another season.

And that, Pearce suggested, is unlikely to go down well. The Georgian is not expected to simply accept a third straight campaign as a backup. At some point, “next in line” has to become “number one” or he will look for that status elsewhere.

One contract decision could reshape Liverpool’s entire goalkeeping department.

Has Alisson done it all?

There is another layer to this. Liverpool might not be the only party weighing up their future.

By the end of the 2026-27 season, Alisson will have spent nine years on Merseyside. In that time, he has collected every major trophy on offer. Champions League. Premier League. Domestic cups. Club World Cup. The lot.

After nearly a decade at the top with one club, a new challenge can start to appeal, even to those who look settled. If that feeling grows, Liverpool’s leverage shrinks, and the power shifts further towards those continental giants waiting for a signal.

For now, no one at Anfield is hitting the panic button. The message, via Pearce, is that it is “too soon” for big decisions.

But football does not wait. January is coming. Agents will call. Clubs will pitch. And if Liverpool keep treating this as “too soon”, they may discover, very quickly, that it has become “too late”.