Liverpool will face competition from Manchester City as the battle for Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister gets set to intensify.
Having taken the decision earlier this year to move away from a pursuit of the £130m-rated Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, the Reds have earmarked Argentina international Mac Allister as one of their primary targets ahead of a critical summer at Anfield.
Liverpool, however, are already facing competition from top-four rivals Manchester United in their pursuit of the 2022 World Cup winner and recently-crowned Premier League champions City are now reportedly keen on the 24-year-old Mac Allister.
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The midfielder has been a standout performer for a Brighton side who are closing in on Europa League qualification and while Mac Allister's efforts have led to both the Reds and United identifying him as a key target for the upcoming window, widespread reports in the national press on Monday evening have also revealed Pep Guardiola admiration.
City are likely to lose both Ilkay Gunodgan and Bernardo Silva in the close-season and Mac Allister has been circled as a high-quality replacement at the Etihad meaning Liverpool will be made to go head-to-head with two of their biggest rivals for a player said to be valued between £60-£70m
The Reds are also assessing a number of other options ahead of the opening of the window as Jurgen Klopp and his recruitment team look to add a number of midfielders to a squad that will lose James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arthur Melo and forward Roberto Firmino at the end of the season.
Chelsea's Mason Mount remains under consideration, while there is interest in Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich and midfield remains the priority area for Klopp and his backroom staff this coming window, despite indications from the manager on Friday that a defender could also be on the shopping list.
Anfield sources distanced themselves from suggestions over the weekend that personal terms with Mac Allister had been agreed and the emergence of City's interest is an indication that the Brighton star's long-term future is yet to be resolved as he gets set to end his historic, World Cup-winning campaign at home to Man City on Wednesday and away at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi conceded after his team's 3-0 win against Arsenal earlier this month that he could lose both Mac Allister and Ecuador international Moises Caicedo, but the Seagulls' CEO Paul Barber was more coy when asked on Monday.
“I saw [Mac Allister] down on the pitch looking very happy and obviously we want him to be here next season.” Barber claimed in a chat with talkSPORT.
“Obviously we know there’s going to be a lot of clubs, not just in this country, but around Europe and around the world, that are going to be wanting him to play for them. But, at the moment he’s wearing blue and white stripes and I’m delighted about that.
“If I lost sleep over every report that I read about one of our players doing that then I wouldn’t be sleeping very much at all. At the moment, he’s focused on doing what he can for us during his final two games.”
Liverpool are close to appointing Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director with the German due on Merseyside later this week to finalise terms on a deal to succeed Julian Ward at the end of the season.
