Liverpool made their first splash in the summer transfer market by signing Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton.
Just six months after playing a key role in Argentina’s World Cup win in Qatar, the 24-year-old playmaker has moved to Anfield in a low-budget deal, believed to be worth just £35m.
Mac Allister signed a five-year deal with Merseyside after undergoing a medical earlier this week and has been handed the coveted number 10 shirt which had been vacant since Sadio Mane’s departure to Bayern Munich last summer.
The move comes after he played a pivotal role in Brighton’s incredible run to sixth place in the Premier League – just one place and five points behind Liverpool – and Europa League qualification this season under Roberto De Zerbi and predecessor Graham Potter.
“We are adding a very talented, very intelligent and technically skilled boy to our squad and that is really great news,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said on the club’s official website.
“I do not think the football world needs me to say too much about Alexis’ qualities because they are already pretty well known but it is clear that he is someone who can play in a number of positions in the midfield and is an all-rounder, I would say. He is calm and composed and someone with proper game intelligence.
“Obviously he’s a player we’ve known for a long time and I’ve seen him grow from a little boy who entered the Premier League to a man who helped his country win the World Cup. is quite a journey.
“My admiration and respect for what Brighton achieve is well known and Alexis has been part of the journey that has seen them become one of the toughest and best teams in the Premier League.
“I am really delighted that he is now taking the next steps with us and that we can work with a player who is already exceptional and experienced but still has a lot to do because he is only 24 years old.”
