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Liverpool sign Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool have completed the signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for an undisclosed fee.
The Argentina international, who will wear Liverpool’s No 10 shirt, penned a five-year deal after being given permission to undergo a medical on Tuesday.
Mac Allister told Liverpoolfc.com: “It feels amazing. It’s a dream come true, it’s amazing to be here and I can’t wait to get started.
“I wanted to be in from the first day of pre-season, so it’s good that everything is done. I’m looking forward to meeting my team-mates.
“It was a fantastic year for me — World Cup, what we achieved with Brighton — but now it’s time to think about Liverpool and try to be a better player and a better human being every day.
“Since I won the World Cup, I said that I want to win more trophies and I think that this club will help me to do that — that’s the aim and when you are in a big club like this one you have to win trophies. So, that’s what I want.
“Since I arrived here, I can see how big this club is — the players we have, the staff, everyone. I’m really pleased and looking forward to playing for this club.”
The Athletic revealed last month that the contract signed by Mac Allister last October until 2025, with the option of a further year for Brighton, contained a mechanism to help facilitate a move for the 24-year-old.
Liverpool agreed a deal with the south-coast club earlier this week after positive discussions with the player’s representatives.
Despite Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, Mac Allister’s heart was set on playing for Jurgen Klopp.
Mac Allister, who scored 12 goals and recorded three assists in 40 appearances for Brighton last season, emerged as Liverpool’s top priority for the summer window after they dropped out of the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham in April.
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It caps a remarkable campaign for the former Argentinos Juniors midfielder, who was a World Cup winner in Qatar and then helped Roberto De Zerbi’s side secure European football for the first time in their history with a sixth-placed Premier League finish.
De Zerbi said of Mac Allister’s exit: “I’m proud to have been Alexis’s coach; he is a very talented player. It has also been a privilege to work with a guy who has strong and traditional values, and I want to wish him good luck for the future.”
Tony Bloom, Brighton’s chairman, added: “We are incredibly proud of Alexis and we are sad to see him go. He did something very special, becoming the first Brighton & Hove Albion player to win the World Cup, and was a key player in our best-ever season.
“He will always be welcome here at the Amex and in the city. On behalf of all Albion fans, I would like to thank Alexis for the many amazing memories and superb performances in a Brighton shirt and wish him well for the next chapter in his career.”
Mahmoud Dahoud will be one of those tasked with replacing him for Brighton, with a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund to soon be confirmed, while James Milner is set to go the other way after the expiration of his contract following eight years at Anfield.
The groundwork of the deal was led by outgoing sporting director Julian Ward and the club’s football operations team prior to Ward’s recent departure from the club. Jorg Schmadtke took over from him on June 1.
Senior Anfield figures have a longstanding relationship with Mac Allister’s agent Juan Gemelli, whose stable of South American players includes Renan Lodi, Alex Sandro and Allan. Gemelli was one of the representatives involved in the transfer of Philippe Coutinho from Inter to Liverpool in January 2013.
Liverpool believes Mac Allister’s age (24) and career appearances (160) fit in with the demographic of some of the club’s most successful signings in the modern era such as Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk.
He was identified as a key target for the summer prior to the World Cup and his performances for Brighton simply reinforced Klopp’s admiration for his versatility and game intelligence.
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What will Mac Allister bring to Liverpool?
Analysis by Mark Carey
Mac Allister has made himself indispensable in a central midfield role at Brighton. His ability to retain possession, elude his immediate opponent, and build attacks are among his key strengths.
He will often drift into pockets of space between the lines, and look to play in those ahead of him and his relationship with Moises Caicedo has been one of the strongest in the Premier League this season.
While Mac Allister has the stamina to press actively when Brighton lose the ball, he is less of a ball-winner than Caicedo and has room to improve when defending in more of an organised block.
Nevertheless, it is what he offers you on the ball that is most appealing. Defensive midfield, central midfield, attacking midfield — wherever you put him, he will still provide that playmaking skill set.
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(Photo: Getty Images)
