Liverpool have completed a £35m deal to sign midfielder Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton on a five-year contract, with the fee potentially rising to £55m. The 24-year-old scored 20 goals in 112 appearances for the Seagulls and was a key player in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory. Mac Allister expressed his delight at the move, saying: “It’s a dream come true and I can’t wait. 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.”
The move is part of Liverpool’s summer rebuild of their midfield, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving Anfield this summer. The Reds had been priced out of a move for Borussia Dortmund’s England teenager Jude Bellingham, who looks set to join Real Madrid after the clubs agreed a 103m euro (£88.5m) fee.
Mac Allister joined Brighton from Argentinos Juniors in January 2019 and has since played 16 times for Argentina. He emerged as a key player during their third World Cup triumph in December, having sat out their opening defeat by Saudi Arabia and started the next six games. He thanked Brighton on Instagram, writing: “It’s time to say goodbye to the club that opened the doors for me and gave me such amazing moments.”
BBC Sport’s Mandeep Sanghera praised Liverpool’s acquisition of Mac Allister, saying: “They have brought in a player who was key to helping Argentina win the World Cup and who has gone from strength to strength in the Premier League with Brighton – helping the south-coast club into the Europa League. Mac Allister was Brighton’s leading scorer in the top flight this season and his ability to play in all positions across midfield, along with his game intelligence, were big factors in the Reds moving for the player.” Julian Ward, who is leaving as the club’s sporting director this summer and being replaced by Jorg Schmadtke, led on securing the deal for Mac Allister with the football operations team.