Since Julian Ward laid a lot of the foundation before the window opened and Jörg Schmadtke is now at the organization to expand on it, Alexis Mac Allister has become Liverpool’s first acquisition of the summer.
Andy Naylor of The Athletic was told by sources at Brighton that although Liverpool and Mac Allister had not reached an agreement as of Monday midday, the transfer had already begun. This is only conjecture, but it’s possible Liverpool did not need to negotiate as much because they were aware of any sort of release provision.
Mac Allister received approval to undertake a medical with Liverpool twenty-four hours later, and that procedure was completed before his media responsibilities were attended to. On Thursday, he was introduced and given the number 10 shirt.
It is unclear how much that clause is worth since it is still considered confidential. Fabrizio Romano has claimed that it may be as little as $44m (£35m/€41m), and even if it is a bit more, it is still a great deal for a player of his caliber.
However, it should be kept in mind that earlier this season, Brighton ran the possibility of losing Mac Allister for nothing. Prior to his World Cup exploits, in October, Mac Allister signed a contract extension that allowed Brighton to acquire him for a cost, but it also included an escape clause and a provision allowing him to leave at the end of the current season.
Although Moisés Caicedo also agreed to a new contract earlier this year, the Ecuadorian’s worth is anticipated to be close to $100m (£80m/€93m).
Andy Naylor also said that Adam Lallana, a former favorite of Jürgen Klopp, was among the Brighton players and staff that bid Mac Allister farewell on a trip to Las Vegas last week.
Lallana said earlier this year on The Big Interview with Graham Hunter, “Alexis… what a special player and special person.” “He is a player whose style of play is so pure. There is no selfishness in the way he plays because of how he shares the football and makes use of others.
“Watching him at the World Cup was very special. He started off not playing, but eventually started playing and proved himself. By the end, Messi is seeking for him because he is playing so brilliantly that it is impossible for him not to play.
In addition, Lallana compared Mac Allister to Croatian superstar Luka Modric due to his small stature and shrewd decision-making both with and without the ball.
Since Lallana departed Liverpool, the two have remained in touch, and while it is unknown for certain whether Klopp sought the Brighton player for his opinion, it seems quite plausible.
Being a nice person is an important component of any Liverpool signing, and Mac Allister seems to fit that description. After winning the title of World Champion, he was captured on camera letting neighborhood kids hold his medal as he left Brighton’s practice field.
After assisting Roberto de Zerbi’s team to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, he departs with the kind wishes of Brighton. It’s probable that his new squad and his former team may compete against one another in the Europa League next year.
Liverpool paid a fair price to get a great player. Nothing encapsulates that better than his World Cup performance, where he assisted Lionel Messi.
Mac Allister, who wasn’t part of Argentina’s roster that fell to Saudi Arabia on matchday one, entered the lineup later and remained there. He complemented Enzo Fernández, who cost $128m (£103m/€120m), well.
But what really captured people’s attention were the combinations including Messi. Wherever Messi went, Mac Allister was around, either creating opportunities or helping the person who would eventually provide the assist.
Mac Allister was a crucial member of the team that won the biggest prize of them all and contributed to ngel Di Maria’s World Cup winning goal with a superbly weighted pass at the conclusion of a sweeping play.
Mac Allister, however, made an impression elsewhere besides Qatar. Two weeks after the Seagulls eliminated the Reds from the FA Cup, he was a member of the Brighton team that destroyed Liverpool at the Amex Stadium in January. He played the entire 90 minutes in that game as well.
After moving on from Jude Bellingham, Liverpool thought that it needed to make too many acquisitions in order to compete for the Borussia Dortmund star who will be moving to Real Madrid.
Liverpool has undoubtedly made a significant step in that direction with Mac Allister. Now that Argentina has had a great start to the summer, the question is what will happen next as there are still many additions that are very necessary.
