Brighton & Hove Albion’s CEO, Paul Barber, has dismissed rumors of Alexis Mac Allister leaving the club in the upcoming transfer window.
A successful season of Alexis Mac Allister
The 24-year-old Argentine has had an impressive season, contributing 12 goals and three assists in 38 appearances for the Seagulls. His success has sparked interest from top clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
However, Barber remains optimistic about keeping Mac Allister and emphasized the player’s current commitment to Brighton. Mac Allister, who played a crucial role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup win, has two more years left on his contract with the club.
The Seagulls secured European football for the next season, and Mac Allister’s performances have attracted attention from Liverpool, who are currently the frontrunners for his signature.
The Reds are keen to bolster their midfield with Mac Allister’s goal-scoring prowess, having netted 12 times this season, more than any other Liverpool midfielder.
Roberto De Zerbi on Mac Allister’s situation
Although Manchester City have entered the race, Liverpool’s position remains strong. Brighton’s manager, Roberto De Zerbi, acknowledged that Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo deserve to play at a higher level, opening up the possibility of a move.
“It can be the last game but I don’t know. They can have the possibility to change [clubs] because they deserve to play in another level,”
De Zerbi said,
“I don’t know what Tony [Bloom, Brighton owner] can decide. But now we can offer them the possibility to play in Europe because our level is bigger now. We can offer them one possibility more.”
Brighton have a history of effectively replacing key players and reinvesting transfer fees into new talents. Liverpool reportedly agreed on a £70 million fee for Mac Allister, and negotiations regarding personal terms are underway.
Manchester City in the race?
However, the threat of Manchester City’s interest has created uncertainty at Anfield. Liverpool are also eyeing a defensive midfielder like Ruben Neves to add depth to their squad. The club aims to finalize Mac Allister’s signing while monitoring Neves’ situation.
Transfer journalist Graeme Bailey spoke to the Talking Transfers podcast,
“Liverpool want it to be, Liverpool want to get this done, but they are fearful of others joining the hunt and we have seen the Man City links recently.
We’ve seen Liverpool miss out on players like [Aurelien] Tchouameni in recent years, and they want to get this over the line, they want to bring in two or three midfielders at Anfield.”
Liverpool wants to strengthen their midfield this summer, with the departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita. Despite the potential competition, Mac Allister remains Liverpool’s primary target for now.
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