Alexis Mac Allister says he considered leaving Liverpool this summer after being left “very sad” by the club’s unwillingness to open talks over a new contract.The Argentina international, whose current deal runs until 2028, was hurt by Liverpool’s stance as they moved to reward fellow midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai with lucrative long-term extensions.Mac Allister took some time to weigh up his options before opting to stay with the club he joined from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35million in 2023.“There was a chance of course (that I left),” he told reporters at a press conference to preview Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid at Anfield.“I received the news that the club was not in a position to offer me a new contract, which of course makes me very sad. I think everyone can see that I give 100 per cent for this football club every single day.“I see Dominik and Ryan renewing their contracts, which makes me very happy because they deserve it. But at the same time it makes me sad that I didn’t get mine. Of course there is still time and fans don’t need to worry because I will give 100 per cent until my last day. We will see what happens. There were options to leave but I think right now I’m in the right club.”(Stefano Rellandini / AFP via Getty Images)Asked if he had been given a reason why Liverpool didn’t want to renew his contract, Mac Allister added: “Not really. It wasn’t a direct conversation with me, it was with my agent.“What I got from my agent was that they were not in a position to renew. It’s really sad. We won a Premier League together. We went through difficult times together. I always gave my best.“Maybe they’ll change their minds (about a new contract). I think it is going to depend how I perform during these years. I am not going to change. This has been a very successful period of my life. I don’t think I have to prove something but of course I have to show the level I can perform.”Mac Allister, who has made 153 appearances for Liverpool, says his bond with the club and the launch of a new era under Andoni Iraola convinced him stay at Liverpool.“Since I came to pre-season and worked under Andoni I could see something special,” he said.“He is a really good coach. He knows very well what what he wants to do and we are trying to get there. When I see the way he wants us to play and the way we train, I think this can be a successful year. That’s why I think this is the right club and the right moment to be here.“I love this club, I love being here, I love the fans. As a player it sometimes happens that you are at a club for a long time and you don’t really realise where you are, but that doesn’t happen to me.“I know every well that this is an amazing club, this city has something very special and I love being here.”Iraola played down suggestions that Mac Allister’s strong feelings over his contract presented some difficulties for the head coach.“We all have personal situations and we all have different contracts with the club,” Iraola said.“In this case, the important thing for me is he wants to continue here in the footballing side.“We haven’t been together a lot of time but he has been important and played a lot of minutes. I think very highly of him and definitely there is still a lot of time to talk about those contract situations.”Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo sat out training on Tuesday as a precaution but Joe Gomez was involved in the session after recovering from the muscle injury he suffered in pre-season.