Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have all been placed on high alert over Brighton’s World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.
The Argentine has established a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most impressive midfielders during a productive four-year stint on the south coast, playing a key role in the Seagulls’ significant progress under Graham Potter and successor Roberto De Zerbi.
Mac Allister had already been attracting plenty of transfer attention even before the winter World Cup in Qatar, where he played an integral role for Lionel Messi’s Argentina en route to their third title and provided a sublime assist for Angel Di Maria in the thrilling final win over France.
The 24-year-old has continued to thrive since that tournament in a high-flying Brighton side gunning for European qualification under De Zerbi, having remained at the Amex Stadium in January despite no shortage of speculation.
However, Mac Allister is widely expected to move on during the summer window, a prospect seemingly now confirmed by the player’s father Carlos, who also believes he will return to Boca Juniors later in his career.
“Normally the next [transfer window] will find him playing in another club, we don’t know which one,” he told puroboca.com in Argentina. “The talks are just beginning in general, but it is most likely that Alexis will already be playing in another team next July.”
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has since reported that Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool are the only three clubs currently in the running to sign Mac Allister, who is poised to remain in the Premier League having notched eight goals so far this term.
Romano added that all of those suitors have now contacted the player’s camp over potential summer moves, with Brighton soon to decide on a suitable - and likely hefty - price tag for such a highly-valued player who remains under contract until 2025 with the club holding the option for another 12 months beyond that after a fresh extension agreed in October.
