Alexis Mac Allister may not take too kindly to Florian Wirtz’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool if a dispute over shirt numbers arises.
The Argentine was a vital part of Arne Slot’s title-winning debut campaign in England, playing 35 of Liverpool’s 38 league games as the Reds edged out Arsenal to lift the Premier League trophy.
Mac Allister is often seen as a leadership presence on the pitch, especially when captain Virgil van Dijk is absent, despite being just 26 years old.
But the summer addition of Wirtz — a £116 million signing from Bayer Leverkusen — poses a new challenge. The German sensation was a star for the Bundesliga champions last season, scoring 16 goals and providing 14 assists across 45 matches, and was handed the prestigious No.10 jersey at Leverkusen.
Although Wirtz has brushed off speculation surrounding next season’s squad numbers, talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino believes it could cause friction.
Commenting on the issue, Cascarino noted (21 June): “Is he going to demand the No.10 shirt? Mac Allister is wearing it, and for an Argentine player, that’s a very special number.
“I don’t see him giving it up easily — it might put his nose out of joint. When I played, I was never fussy about shirt numbers, even when I wore No.9 at Villa. But some players really want a specific number — they just do.”
