Liverpool have reached an agreement with Brighton to sign Alexis Mac Allister, with the 24-year-old set to undergo his medical in the coming hours. Negotiations have been ongoing since April, with a release clause in his contract with Brighton allowing the move to go ahead. Mac Allister has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract with Liverpool, and the club are expected to pay around £45 million for the World Cup winner, who will become their first signing of the summer. After passing his medical tests, which are set for the next 24 hours and are likely to be a formality due to his strong fitness record, Mac Allister will report to the AXA Training Centre for pre-season training in July and is tipped to take the No. 10 shirt last worn by Sadio Mane.
The signing of Mac Allister is part of a major rebuild of Liverpool’s midfield ranks, with James Milner set to head the other way on a free transfer to Brighton and Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur also leaving on the expiry of their contracts. Liverpool are reported to have made contact with OGC Nice’s Khephren Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone, while there is long-held interest in Mason Mount, Southampton‘s Romeo Lavia and Wolves‘ Matheus Nunes.