Alisson Becker has confirmed his agent is in negotiations with Liverpool over his future, with the goalkeeper stating that his wish is to remain at Anfield beyond the end of this season.
The Brazil international is set to become a free agent in the summer after the club activated a one-year extension to his contract last season amid reported interest from Juventus. Liverpool have already planned for the long term, spending a combined total of approximately £60m on Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia and teenage prospect Lucca Brughmans, who is on loan at Belgian club Genk this campaign.
Agent in talks over new deal
Head coach Andoni Iraola said on Friday that he was hopeful of keeping Alisson beyond the expiry of his current deal. Speaking after Sunday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, Alisson gave a four-word declaration on his intentions.
"Yes, in my mind (I want to say)," Alisson said. "I'm focused on playing every game but in my mind I'm happy to stay."
"You know, that depends on a lot of aspects and different situations. But my will is to stay. I'm happy here, my family is happy here."
"I'm still hungry for titles and for delivering good performances. I still want to play at the top level for as long as I can. So that's my thinking on that. My agent is talking with the club."
Match-winning display at Selhurst Park
Alisson proved decisive in the victory, making three notable saves to deny Daichi Kamada, Adam Wharton and Yeremy Pino. When asked to assess his own performance, he said: "Really good. I'm pleased to help the team with the points."
"The first half, they started really well. When we conceded the first chance and they hit the post, they started to get confident. We started to give away a few chances and a few spaces that we shouldn't."
"They used the spaces and created chances. That's part of my job. I'm there to do that. I'm happy that today I could contribute to the three points."
International break preparation
Alisson was among a small number of players who stayed at Selhurst Park while others departed for international duty, having been overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti for Brazil's forthcoming matches against Japan and Singapore.
At 34, Alisson acknowledged that while he would prefer to be representing his country, the break offers a chance to prepare for a crucial spell at Anfield. "It is beneficial (to have a break), for sure," added the two-time Premier League winner. "You have to use it right because you have a lot of time so if you don't train, if you don't prepare, time goes really quick and you need to stay sharp."
"It's not that I will sit on the couch for a week and then come back training. I still have to work hard but in my mind I can use the time to relax and be more with my family. It's a little bit against my will."
Building consistency under Iraola
Liverpool recovered from back-to-back losses against Arsenal and Fenerbahce in the Champions League with the win over Palace. Alisson said perspective is needed after 10 league games under Iraola.
"I think you have to manage all of the situations," he added. "When you are doing well, you need to control a little bit the excitement so you don't get overexcited."
"Our reality is that we're not doing as well as we can. It doesn't mean that we are not doing well - we are doing well in so many games - but the consistency is not there yet."
"The moment for us is to control the frustration that the defeats bring and stay with a clear mind and looking for the quality in our team. We have a top manager, top players."
"We are capable of great things but as a team we need to get to a point where we feel: 'We are okay now. We have the confidence. We have everything that's needed to win'. We are building that."
"I hope we get there really quick but it takes time. We have to be patient but we players, in our mind, we don't have time to waste. We want to win, we want to be Premier League champions, Champions League champions, League Cup champions, FA Cup champions. We want to win everything with this club because this is special and it's what we're here for."
"It was a really good way to bounce back (against Palace). It was a really good game to play in, it became really physical. Long balls, second balls, sometimes marking them man-to-man all over the pitch so it demanded a lot from us. We did really well in some situations and that allowed us to create chances, score goals and have a really good win away from home."
