The 24 year old Argentine midfield talent Alexis Mac Allister has decided to join the Merseyside Reds and will be playing under Jurgen Klopp next season. Liverpool have completed the signing of the player for a fee around £35m ($43.5m). Alexis is set to become Liverpool’s first signing of the summer and has completed the medical with Brighton and Hove Albion gave him the permission.
However, Liverpool have not qualified for playing in the UEFA Champions League for next season. This has happened for the first time since 2017.
This has affected their pursuit of Marco Asensio who is set to join Paris Saint-Germain instead of playing at Anfield. The Real Madrid man will be leaving the Bernabeu this summer. And it seems that the Parc des Princes will now be his next destination.
Why Didn’t Mac Allister Join Manchester United!?
There were plenty of interest from other top clubs in England for Alexis including Manchester United. However the Argentine preferred to play for Liverpool which left Eric Ten Hag to search for another midfielder. Manchester United will be playing in the Champions League next season and are in to strengthen their midfield.
Mason Mount is in talks with Manchester United and is favorite to join them soon after a disastrous season with Chelsea. Liverpool have their another eye on Moises Caicedo who are valued at £70m.
Another reason for Allister to reject Man United is because of the fact Marcus Rashford is not going to sacrifice his number 10 jersey. Plus, the Red Devils need another striker, as they have the likes of Garnacho and Elanga at present. Mac Allister has agreed a five-year contract with Liverpool on a reported wage of £100,000 a week, and is poised to take up a key role moving forward.
He is a versatile box-to-box midfield player and has played as a number 6, 8 and also 10 sometimes for Brighton. This will help Klopp to play his side with flexibility like 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or even as 3-5-2. Let’s see how Liverpool does with him next season.
Three Reasons Why No Big Team Bid For The Argentine International!?
3. No Team Seriously Interested In Signing Mac Allister!?
This is the first time that a player with so much hype has gotten so little interest from the big teams. Considering the fact that Manchester City weren’t even interested in the player and that Arsenal and Chelsea did not make any bids either, only Manchester United was the other club seriously even considering the player. However, this transfer saga had no bidding war, no sabotage, nothing of that sort.
Now, though the reason for the Red Devils not signing him possible are mentioned above, a player of such high value like Mac Allister does have, as per the fans, would have surely attracted more attention. But no, there has been nothing serious. And it is just the way that things are.
He went and joined Jurgen Klopp’s team, without a real fight from any top club. And the value of the deal was just £35m. That’s the most shocking part!!
2. Release Clause And The Commitment To Jurgen Klopp And His Liverpool Project!?
There are not too many players that can say NO to Jurgen Klopp. The German boss has done a remarkable job since his arrival at Anfield. He has won the Premier League title and the Champions League title, along with other team and individual accolades too. With that being said and done, if Klopp want a player, they most probably join the team.
But, the only concern is that Mac Allister has been constantly asking for Champions League football. And that is something that the Reds can’t offer him at present. With that being said, none of the clubs tried to do what Chelsea did with the Mudryk deal.
It’s strange, but better offers could have been made. With all the hype surrounding the player on Social Media, it was just so strange. Or am I the only one seeing things that don’t really exist!?
1. Assurance Of First Team Football And Priorities In The Transfer Window!?
Arsenal, Chelsea and even Manchester United for that matter, have a lot of attacking options at present. With the likes of Odegaard, Fabio Vieira and co. in the Gunners’ squad, their priority is a box-to-box midfielder or a defensive midfielder instead. If either one comes in (out of Rice and Caicedo), they can partner with Thomas Partey in a double pivot.
And this is why, Arteta and co. are not so keen on Mac Allister. On the other hand, even if they did sign him, they would not be able to assure him first team football.
Further, Chelsea just lost N’Golo Kante and might lose Matteo Kovacic. After selling Jorginho in the January transfer window, they are in need of holding midfielders before they can add more attacking options. At present, they have the likes of Havertz, Mason Mount (who might be sold), Sterling, Madueke and more, amongst their ranks.
To add to that, Nkunku will be joining the squad soon. And the likes of David Fofana, who is just 20, still sit on the bench. With so much attacking talent upfront, the Blues might have looked the other way in the Mac Allister deal.
Well, at the end of the day, the deal is done. And it is high time for the player to step up now. Whether he can do that or not at the club level, remains to be seen!!
