Former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan believes Brighton & Hove Albion should be "disappointed" with the fee they are set to receive for Alexis Mac Allister's move to Liverpool.
On Tuesday afternoon, the ECHO reported that the 24-year-old midfielder had been given permission to undertake his medical after Liverpool and Brighton had agreed on a deal, instigated by the Reds triggering a clause in the Argentine's contract.
It means that when the seal is set on Mac Allister's move to Anfield, it could end up costing Liverpool just £45m - though recent reports have suggested it could be closer to £35m. And Jordan believes such a price does not represent a fair return on investment the Amex outfit have put into the midfielder's career since he joined the club from Argentinos Juniors four years ago, insisting the Reds are signing the 2022 World Cup winner for "below market value".
“I don’t think Brighton have particularly tied him up have they," said Jordan, speaking on talkSPORT on Tuesday morning. "What did they achieve (by getting him to sign a new deal)?”
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“You’ve got a World Cup winner coming back. They tied him up to be able to give him to Liverpool at a (fee) properly below market value. I imagine (Brighton) will be a little bit disappointed with the situation."
Mac Allister signed a new deal on the South Coast as recently as October. However, that is believed to have contained an atypical release clause that made the negotiation process with Brighton smoother than the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea have experienced in recent seasons when brokering deals for Ben White and Marcus Cucurella.
Jordan added: “Because it’s happening rather quickly, I thought that we’d got Mac Allister tied up in a situation where someone was going to have to pay top money for him. Top money.
“I’d have wanted more for him. I want these big clubs that come along and take everyone else’s vision and don’t do it themselves, to have to pay the prerequisite price for it.”
Mac Allister is expected to be unveiled as a Liverpool player prior to flying out for Argentina's friendlies against Australia and Indonesia later this month. The midfielder may first be in action for the Reds during next month's pre-season training camp in Germany where Liverpool will play two friendlies against local opposition.
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