There is a well-worn cliché in football that a returning player in form is like a new signing. It usually arrives as a consolation prize when a club fails to bring in fresh faces. In Mac Allister's case, though, it genuinely fits. The Argentine has started this season looking like a completely different player to the one who trudged through so much of last campaign, and Liverpool supporters are only too happy to admit it.

His display at Bournemouth on Sunday was commanding and disciplined, exactly the kind of performance that had felt so elusive throughout the Arne Slot era. He held his position diligently in front of the two centre-backs, offered genuine defensive cover, and allowed Dominik Szoboszlai the freedom to push higher. It was a performance built on structure and intelligence, and it was no coincidence that Liverpool kept a third successive Premier League clean sheet in the process. Alisson Becker acknowledged as much afterwards, pointing to the midfield protection as something notably improved from last season.

It would be lazy to write off last term as simply Mac Allister having a bad time of it. The reality was more complicated than that. No Liverpool player made more appearances across all competitions, 55 from a possible 57, so he was hardly hiding. He was simply one of many caught up in a turbulent period for the club, and his consistency in showing up, even when below his best, became something of a rod for his own back. The more he played, the more visible his dip in form became.

It's understood he was frustrated at being singled out so regularly when the struggles were far from his alone. That irritation is understandable, and arguably fair. His first two seasons at Anfield, after arriving for £35million from Brighton, had set a high standard, one that made any decline feel more dramatic than it perhaps was. That he scored the goal against Tottenham Hotspur in April 2025 that effectively clinched Liverpool's record-equalling 20th league title tells you everything about where his ceiling sits when he is right.

There were opportunities to leave this summer. Mac Allister declined them. Whether that was a statement of intent or simply a case of the offers not matching his value at a club of Liverpool's stature is open to debate, but the outcome is the same, he stayed, and he has immediately repaid that decision. His blistering winner against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League opener announced his return far more eloquently than any press conference could.

Speaking ahead of that match, he was adamant he had nothing to prove, while quietly acknowledging he had fallen short of his own standards last season. It was a measured and honest assessment from someone who clearly knows his own game. The fact he had not yet been rewarded with a new contract, unlike fellow midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, clearly stung, but he channelled that into his football rather than letting it fester. That speaks to a level of maturity that often goes unnoticed.

For now, Mac Allister's partnership with Szoboszlai looks like the go-to midfield combination under Andoni Iraola, with Gravenberch dropped to the bench despite his prominent role throughout the Slot era. The caveat, as always, is that a busy fixture schedule and rotation will test every player's grip on their starting berth before long. Mac Allister also faces international duty with Argentina, three home friendlies, before the Premier League resumes, and Iraola will be hoping he returns fully fit and with his momentum intact.

He may not have been the marquee new signing Liverpool supporters were calling for during the summer window. Right now, though, he looks very much like the midfielder this team needs, and the contract conversation that has so far been put on hold might soon be one the club can no longer afford to delay.