Liverpool are looking to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to secure a deal for Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for the Argentine midfielder this summer, and Romano now claims that they are looking to “close the deal” with the player first before making an offer to Brighton.
Liverpool have held a direct meeting with the player and presented their project to him, and they are going to push for a move in the next weeks.
The Guardian journalist further adds that signing Mac Allister is not a priority for Chelsea at the moment, while Manchester United can’t make a decision now until their takeover situation is resolved.
Liverpool are looking to take advantage of this situation and want to get the deal done at the earliest opportunity before their rivals decide to step-up their interest.
Mac Allister has a contract at Brighton until 2025, and Football Insider claimed that it would take a fee of around £70m to lure him away from the Amex Stadium.
Romano wrote for Caughtoffside:
“Alexis Mac Allister is going to leave Brighton in the summer – 100%. Liverpool now feel they are making progress on negotiations for the Argentina international. They have had a direct meeting to present their project to Mac Allister, and the plan is to close the deal on the player’s side and then agree things with Brighton. Liverpool are going to push in the next weeks. Chelsea were interested but it’s not a priority, while Manchester United cannot progress due to the club takeover situation. Liverpool want to get this done, so let’s see how this progresses in the coming weeks.”
Massive addition
Liverpool are usually very secretive with their transfer activities so it remains to be seen how this pans out, but Mac Allister would be an excellent signing if they can secure a deal.
Jude Bellingham was Liverpool’s top target in the summer but they felt that the price was out of their reach. The Reds are looking to add at least two to three midfielders this summer, and Mac Allister could be one of them.
It is interesting that Chelsea have not stepped-up their interest in the 24-year-old given that the likes of Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic are facing uncertain futures. The Blues are yet to appoint their new manager and they need to offload a host of players to free up the space for new additions.
Man United also need a new midfielder this summer, but signing a top-quality striker remains their first priority. Moreover, the takeover saga could derail their transfer plans, which other clubs like Liverpool could take advantage of.
