Brighton & Hove Albion CEO Paul Barber has refused to rule out sanctioning a summer move for World Cup winner and Liverpool-linked midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
The Reds are the latest Premier League side to be linked with a move for the 24-year-old Argentine, despite him penning a new long-term contract on the south coast last autumn.
Mac Allister has enjoyed an instantaneous rise both on the Premier League and international stage over the last six months after playing a key role in helping Argentina win their first World Cup in 36 years at the 2022 finals, before assisting the Seagulls in their quest to secure European qualification this term.
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Earlier this month it was claimed that Mac Allister's agent was due to meet with Anfield officials and discuss a potential move to Merseyside this summer, with Liverpool recently pausing their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund Jude Bellingham and instead targeting numerous additions in the engine room.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Barber admitted he is unsure what the summer will bring for the midfielder but insisted the club are braced for such heavy interest - which they will manage accordingly.
“With Alexis, we sat down before the World Cup with his father, Carlos, and his agent," said Barber. “That was about making sure Alexis was as settled as possible before the World Cup goal.
“And afterwards, we ensured he got back focused on the Premier League – to his credit he absolutely has done. Has performed very, very well.
“What the summer brings? We don’t know. What we do know is our players will come under a lot of scrutiny and interest.
“And we will manage that, as we always do, when and if it happens.”
Speaking during the World Cup, Mac Allister's father, Carlos, disclosed that talks were underway with various clubs regarding his son's potential next move.
“Today he is just beginning his career in Europe, but on the way back when he decides to settle in Argentina again, he will surely want to play in Boca, even if it is for a while, to finish thanking and demonstrating the level that it can have in a club of this nature in Argentina," said Carlos Mac Allister.
“Normally the next [transfer window] will find him playing in another institution, we don’t know which one. The talks are just beginning in general, but it is most likely that Alexis will already be playing in another team next July.”
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