'Squeeze every ounce!' - Liverpool warned they'd be making a huge error by letting Alisson leave as Premier League goalkeeping legend claims it could take YEARS to find replacement

Long-term plans may have been drawn up on Merseyside when it comes to Liverpool’s last line of defence, with there acceptance that no player can go on forever. At some point, a new keeper will be required to step between the sticks.

That day could come sooner than many had hoped, with Alisson only tied to terms through to the summer of 2027. A big decision on his future needs to be made over the coming weeks, with there little point in allowing him to amble towards free agency.

Alisson is now 33 years of age, but would appear to still have plenty left in the tank. He has been at Anfield since 2018 and played a leading role in Jurgen Klopp’s transformation of Liverpool’s fortunes - with two Premier League titles and a Champions League crown now featuring prominently on his impressive roll of honour.

The Reds are being urged to do all they can to put a contract extension in place, with football history littered with tales of how difficult elite goalkeepers can be to replace. Liverpool have been advised to keep Alisson around until he “can’t walk anymore”.

That is the opinion of ex-Reds and USMNT keeper Friedel, who - speaking in association with Nettotobak - told GOAL when asked how important Alisson is to the collective cause: “You have to look at the greats, your goalkeeping greats, and what happened for a short time while teams try and figure out how to replace them. It usually takes a while. 

“Look at what happened to United when [Peter] Schmeichel left and how long it took to find [Edwin] van der Sar, how many goalkeepers they went through before they got there. I know [Fabien] Barthez was there for a short while, but he wasn’t Van der Sar. 

“I think Alisson is the best. I like all parts of his game. I think he doesn’t have a true weakness. Are there people that might be a little better with their feet? Yes, but he is still very good with his feet. 

“There are certain players that would take a long time to replace and certain players that would leave a huge dent if they left. He is one of those. I have no idea what is going on with his contract, but I would do everything I possibly could to keep him there for as long as possible - squeeze every ounce of talent that you can out of the guy until he can’t walk any more, then give him an incredible send-off and shake his hand.”

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Alisson has been giving little away when it comes to his intentions in 2026, with a World Cup quest with Brazil capturing much of his attention. He said ahead of the current Premier League campaign getting underway: “I’ve never been able to plan long term. Obviously now I have one year left on my contract and another year of club option, which they will probably exercise. It’s a decisive moment in my career, with a World Cup coming up. I want to be very focused, I don’t want anything external to get in the way of that.”

A return to his roots at Internacional has been speculated on for Alisson, and the commanding South American is ruling nothing out. He said on that subject: “I talk to athletes who have made this move to return, some have had good experiences, others not. Each one will have their own experience, but I want to return, especially to Inter. I don’t know when it will happen, but I still want to do it at a high level. That’s what I have planned.”

For now, Alisson is focused on Liverpool’s bid to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League and positive progress in the Champions League - with a European clash with Qarabag next on the agenda for Arne Slot’s side as Azerbaijani opposition pay a visit to Anfield on Wednesday.