Liverpool reach Alexis Mac Allister 'agreement' as fee set with Brighton after talks

Liverpool are claimed to have agreed a fee with Brighton for Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister.

Posted Monday, May 08, 2023 by Express.co.uk

Liverpool have reportedly reached an agreement in principle with Brighton to sign midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. The Reds will reportedly pay the Seagulls up to £57.6million if they can get the midfielder to accept their contract proposal.

Liverpool are desperate to make major additions to their midfield this summer. Jude Bellingham was a top target for Jurgen Klopp but the Reds have decided against pursuing the England star.

Club chiefs felt it was unwise to spend the majority of their transfer budget on one player when multiple signings are needed. Rumours over a move for Mac Allister have increased in recent days.

The 24-year-old has gone from strength to strength for Brighton since winning the World Cup with Argentina in December. And Klopp is seemingly a big fan.

Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb claims there is an agreement between Liverpool and Brighton in principle. Liverpool would pay an initial £53.2m, with a further £4.4m in performance-related add-ons.

However, Liverpool must strike an agreement with the player too. The report says talks were held late into Friday night to try and convince Mac Allister that Anfield was the right place for him, despite the expected lack of Champions League football next season.

Talks were held over the potential salary Mac Allister would earn at Liverpool. He only signed a new contract at Brighton last October to keep him at the Amex until 2025.

Mac Allister scored his ninth Premier League goal of the season deep into stoppage time to beat Manchester United 1-0 on Thursday and keep alive Liverpool's slim hopes of finishing inside the top four. After the match, the midfielder insisted he has been loving life on the south coast.

He told Sky Sports: "I’ve been here three, three-and-a-half years already? And I know what this club gave to me, I’m really grateful with them, really happy to be here.

"I try to transmit that to my teammates, the young players - South American players, which we’ve got a lot. It’s a fantastic team, it’s like a family so every time I get to the pitch I really enjoy playing here."

However, Brighton CEO Paul Barber has conceded it is impossible for them to keep all their best players at the club. Barber said: "I think every club these days is a selling club to some extent, even the biggest clubs sometimes get tempted by unbelievable offers for their players.

"Our challenge is to make sure that when we do lose players we’ve got players either already in the door, which is our ideal position, or coming back very quickly after them."