Liverpool have been in contact with Brighton regarding signing of Alexis Mac Allister, who has a release clause between £45m-£55m in his contract; Jurgen Klopp keen to revamp midfield following departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Arthur Melo
Thursday 8 June 2023 11:10, UK
Alexis Mac Allister has been given permission to undergo a medical with Liverpool ahead of a proposed move from Brighton.
Liverpool are hopeful of signing Mac Allister this week with the two Premier League clubs having been in contact regarding the Argentina World Cup winner, who has a release clause of between £45m and £55m in his contract.
Mac Allister signed a new contract with Brighton last October, extending a deal that was due to expire this summer but now runs until the summer of 2025, with an option for an extra 12 months.
Once the release clause has been met, it is expected personal terms will be quickly agreed between Liverpool and Mac Allister.
The 24-year-old's arrival is likely to begin what looks set to be a busy summer at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp looking to freshen up a side that missed out on Champions League qualification this season.
Midfield is a particular area of need for Liverpool, with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all leaving the club with their contracts expiring, while Arthur Melo will return to Juventus at the end of his loan deal.
Milner is set to move to Brighton, with his switch to the Amex close to completion.
Brighton finished just one place behind Liverpool in the Premier League and will play in Europe for the first time next season.
Mac Allister joined Brighton from Argentinos Juniors in January 2019 but spent the rest of that season with the Argentinian club, before spending the first half of the 2019/20 campaign on loan at Boca Juniors.
Mac Allister finally moved to the Amex in January 2020 and went on to play 112 times for Brighton, scoring 20 goals and claiming nine assists.
He enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022/23, scoring 12 goals in all competitions as he became a key part of Roberto De Zerbi's impressive team.
Mac Allister also established himself in Argentina's midfield during the World Cup in November and December, starting six games - including the final - as Lionel Scaloni's team won the tournament in Qatar.
Liverpool's midfield has been scrutinised for some time, seen as the root cause of their decline. Overhauling it offers a route out of their problems. The acquisition of Mac Allister could prove to be a significant moment for Jurgen Klopp.
The Argentina international has pedigree. Already a World Cup winner, the 24-year-old midfielder has proven himself in the Premier League at Brighton and has the breadth of skills that make him an ideal fit for the demands at Liverpool.
It is why Jude Bellingham was long seen as the solution. At its best, a Klopp midfield includes players who can defend and attack, tackle, pass and shoot. Mac Allister can do all of that. Speaking to him in January, he was acutely aware of his own positional flexibility.
"I always say that I like to be in contact with the ball," he told Sky Sports. "The closer I am to the ball, the better I feel. I like to play as a midfielder. It does not matter if it is as a 6, an 8 or a 10. I grew up as a 10. But then I understood that I could play in more positions.
"I think it is important for the modern player to be able to play in different positions to give the team and the manager different options. If you ask me I would say that today I feel more comfortable as an 8 but I know I can play as a 6 or a 10."
Sky Sports' Paul Merson:
"If Liverpool are going to challenge for the league as well as just the top four, for them to get Mac Allister would be a great signing. He's a top player, a World Cup winner and was a massive influence in that tournament.
"He's a very good player, a very calming influence on the pitch. He keeps the ball and ticks it along, and reminds me a bit of an Ilkay Gundogan without the goals.
"He's a different kind of player to Jude Bellingham who they wanted before, Bellingham would get forward a bit more, but Mac Allister does the simple stuff very, very well.
"People might say, 'Oh, the simple stuff?' but there's not a lot of players who can do that."
