Man City will reportedly compete with Liverpool this summer for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Alexis MacAllister
Liverpool will face competition if they are to sign Alexis MacAllister as part of their long-planned midfield revamp this summer.
According to reports on Monday, Premier League champions Manchester City will compete with the Reds for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder, while Manchester United will also compete for the World Cup winner’s signature.
While it has been repeatedly stated in recent weeks that Liverpool are the frontrunners for the 24-year-old, Man City’s interest may complicate matters. After all, Pep Guardiola’s men are capable of providing Champions League football.
Meanwhile, backed by billions of dollars from Abu Dhabi, they are capable of offering both a higher transfer fee and more lucrative wages in order to secure Mac Allister’s signature. If City want him, they have the resources to easily blow the Reds away.
Liverpool are unlikely to enter a bidding war, with the high fees required to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham contributing to their decision to withdraw from the race. While the England international had long been a target, the Reds decided it would be better to spread their transfer budget around and sign a number of high-quality players rather than focusing on a single marquee new arrival.
However, Bellingham may have unintentionally aided City’s pursuit of Mac Allister, prompting them to look elsewhere, with Real Madrid believed to be leading the race for the 19-year-old. Like Liverpool, they appear to have settled on the Argentine as a suitable replacement.
Brighton, on the other hand, will not make it easy for any interested club. A fee of around £70 million has been reported in some sections, with the 23-year-old almost certain to cost more than the club-record fee of more than £60 million that the Seagulls received when selling Marc Cucurella to Chelsea last August.
After receiving £77 million from Arsenal for Ben White and Leandro Trossard in the previous two transfer windows, as well as £25 million from Tottenham Hotspur for Yves Bissouma last summer, they resisted bids of up to £70 million from Arsenal for Moises Caicedo in January. The Seagulls, who have just qualified for Europe for the first time in their history, are not to be underestimated.
If Brighton’s reported interest in Reds goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher turns out to be true, Liverpool could gain leverage in negotiations.
Brighton’s first-choice goalkeeper for the past two years had been Spain international Robert Sanchez, before manager Roberto de Zerbi promoted long-serving understudy Jason Steele to first-choice at the start of March. Finally, he decided that the 32-year-old was a better fit for his preferred formation, preferring the Seagulls to play out from the back and believing the former Championship goalkeeper to be superior with the ball at his feet.
Steele’s retention as Brighton’s first-choice goalkeeper would be surprising, given that the Seagulls, along with Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford, are said to be interested in signing Kelleher from Liverpool. The Republic of Ireland international shone as Alisson Becker’s understudy at Anfield, but the 24-year-old has been linked with a summer exit in search of playing time.
“Are you Caoimh Kelleher?” “What is going on with Kelleher?” Klopp inquired of reporters. “He’s under contract. You want us to bid Adrian farewell just in case? Caoimh isn’t going anywhere, in my opinion. I must say, it must be an extraordinary offer for me to even consider it.”
While the prospect of more game time in the Europa League may persuade Kelleher to stay at Anfield for another season, despite Klopp’s admission, an exit isn’t out of the question. After all, if he wants to be a first-choice goalkeeper, Liverpool will be in a difficult situation.
Meanwhile, “extraordinary offer” does not imply “not for sale.” According to reports, the Irishman could command a fee in excess of £20 million this summer. As a result, the Reds may be able to compete with Manchester City for Mac Allister and sign him for a ‘cut-price’ fee.
Although direct swap deals are uncommon in football, Liverpool has on occasion negotiated two deals with the same club. When Hull City signed Andy Robertson for an initial £8 million, rising to £10 million with add-ons, Kevin Stewart moved the other way in a deal worth £7.5 million with add-ons.
Meanwhile, Wolves would sign Ki-Jana Hoever from Liverpool in a £10 million deal in September 2020, with the fee rising to £13.5 million, while Liverpool signed Diogo Jota in a £45 million deal.
As a result, after deducting the fees from sales, the Reds paid £2.5m for Robertson, while Jota cost £31.5m.
So, if Mac Allister is going to cost £70 million, Kelleher leaving could certainly sweeten the deal and help offset some of the cost. And if that helps Liverpool reach an agreement with Brighton, all that remains is to convince the player that Anfield is the right place for him.
If it comes down to a choice between Liverpool and Manchester City for Mac Allister, it will be interesting to see who makes him the most appealing pitch. In turn, he will choose between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola as the more appealing manager to play for.
So, if Mac Allister is going to cost £70 million, Kelleher leaving could certainly sweeten the deal and help offset some of the cost. And if that helps Liverpool reach an agreement with Brighton, all that remains is to convince the player that Anfield is the right place for him.
If it comes down to a choice between Liverpool and Manchester City for Mac Allister, it will be interesting to see who makes him the most appealing pitch. In turn, he will choose between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola as the more appealing manager to play for.
Liverpool will be determined to re-establish themselves as Man City’s closest rivals after falling further behind them this season after coming agonizingly close to winning an unprecedented quadruple last season.
If Guardiola’s men do not get Mac Allister, it will serve as an unwelcome reality check. But win this latest off-field battle, and the Reds will have sent a clear message about their credentials long before the 2023/24 season begins.
Leave a Reply