Alexis Mac Allister is a Liverpool player. Credit: Getty Images/Andrew Powell
Liverpool moved quickly into the summer market to sign Alexis Mac Allister after identifying the Argentine midfielder had the same transfer profile as their most successful signings such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dyck.
At 24, Jurgen Klopp, who has played 200 games in his career, was assessing the market for his midfield rebuild, and McAllister was considered potentially capable of following in the footsteps of those players who took their game to the next level. level at Anfield, showing signs of what they were capable of elsewhere.
In the work of the recruiting team at Liverpool, it was noted that Mac Allister worked his way to becoming a World Cup winner. Since moving to Brighton four years ago, he has had two loan spells to gain experience. His Argentine teammates in Qatar such as Lionel Messi or Angel Di Maria were quick to play in Europe's top leagues in their careers, while Mack Allister took longer to establish himself.
He entered the World Cup with eight caps and his international recognition only came at the under-20 level. He was seen as a player who fought for his chance and that his best years were yet to come.
Where will Klopp play him?
As The Daily Telegraph reported last month, Klopp has identified the World Cup winner as a player with proven Premier League experience as Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have run out of contracts.
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But he is seen as a player who can fill all the roles of a midfielder in Klopp's system. So his position could change from match to match depending on the circumstances. He can sit deep at number 6, as Fabinho has done in recent years.
That's what attracted him to Manchester United, which had him on the shortlist. Erik ten Hag, United's head coach, wants the deep-lying midfielder to intercept the ball from his centre-backs and start moving. But Mac Allister could also be the box-to-box No. 8 to lead Liverpool forward or even play farther down the field as a playmaker.
How did they make the deal?
Understandably, Mac Allister was on Liverpool's radar ahead of the World Cup when he became one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League. Much of the work has been done by Julian Ward, Liverpool's sporting director, although he is now leaving the club. His successor, Jörg Schmadtke, is now in place and will lead incoming and outgoing transfers.
Liverpool were also helped to finalize a relationship with Mack Allister's agent Juan Gemelli, who was involved in bringing Philippe Coutinho to the club. After undergoing treatment this week, McAllister has signed a five-year contract. The fee has not been disclosed but is expected to be in excess of £35m for the player, who has spent four years at the Amex Stadium.
Mac Allister only signed a new contract at Brighton in October, which ran until 2025 with the possibility of another year. The new terms have left clubs wondering if there is a buy-out clause, and the player's reputation has only improved after playing a key role in his country's triumph in Qatar over the winter.
How did they announce it?
😏 pic.twitter.com/OGeqmQUWJe
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 8, 2023
The Liverpool media team had some fun when they announced the deal was closed. They posted a photo of a Liverpool jersey to the music of Ecuador Sasha!
This happened after a Twitter user asked ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence program, to sing for Mac Allister in the style of classic 90s dance music.
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