Mac's getting BACK to his best

SLOT INSISTS FULL FITNESS KEY TO ALEXIS RESURGENCE

- By IAN DOYLE

ARNE SLOT has pinpointed the reason behind Alexis Mac Allister's recent improved form that has prompted renewed transfer talk surrounding the Liverpool midfielder.

Mac Allister was this week linked with interest from bitter North West rivals Manchester United, having long been courted by Spanish side Real Madrid.

His father Carlos, however, subsequently issued a short statement declaring the player is only concerned at present about the possibility of a new deal at Anfield as he approaches the final two years of his current contract, signed when arriving from Brighton for £35million in the summer of 2023.

Mac Allister's performance levels dipped during the first half of the season as he struggled for fitness after nursing a long-term injury problem, with Slot also highlighting the difficulty in building new partnerships after the squad overhaul during the summer.

"I think it's always a combination of factors, but fitness is a very important one," said Slot, whose team are at Nottingham Forest tomorrow afternoon. “I think the moment a player starts to play more and more games, he gets fitter and fitter.