The final whistle at Southampton marked the end of a long and taxing season for Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool players.
But while the manager might reasonably have hoped for it to mark the start of some end-of-term holiday time, the Reds boss was instead expecting the hectic scheduling to continue. In fact, it was probably more of a demand given he had just come off the lowest finish of any of his seven full seasons at Anfield.
"I have a break - I don’t have training and those kinds of things - but a pretty busy period hopefully starts now as well in a different area of the game," Klopp said after the 4-4 draw at Southampton on May 28. It was a clear reference to the club being proactive ahead of the transfer window officially opening on June 14. "And I’m more than happy to do that. I will find time to re-energise and then we start again in July.”
Less than two weeks on from that enjoyable and chaotic affair at St Mary's and Liverpool have their first signing through the door in the shape of Alexis Mac Allister. The midfielder arrives from Brighton on a five-year deal after the Reds triggered a little-known release clause in his contract.
DONE DEAL: Liverpool sign Alexis Mac Allister as transfer plan turns to next targets
LIVE: Alexis Mac Allister signing reaction as Liverpool transfer plan turns to new targets
It's a significant deal for the Reds as they attempt to aggressively hunt their primary targets during what is a critical summer of rebuilding for Klopp's squad.
With the manager keen to ensure that most of his dealings are concluded in time for the start of pre-season on July 8, the swift conclusion to the Mac Allister situation bodes well for a club who have a handful of new faces in key recruitment roles behind the scenes at the AXA Training Ground.
It's been something of a whirlwind couple of weeks for Mac Allister who completes the biggest move of his career to date to sign off from a historic year for both club and country. The 24-year-old inspired Brighton to Europa League qualification just months after helping Lionel Messi and co in Qatar as Argentina won their first World Cup since 1986.
Mac Allister was reportedly part of the Brighton contingent, including owner Tony Bloom, that flew out to Las Vegas for an end-of-season break last week. It was here, it's claimed, that Mac Allister said his goodbyes and was given the best wishes of his Seagulls team-mates as a move to Anfield began to really formulate in the days after the campaign had ended.
From the west coast of the United States, Liverpool's new man then spent some time down in Miami towards the end of last week and had an interview with Argentinian-news outlet Infobae sanctioned at his Edgewater district apartment where he was enjoying more vacation time with his partner, Ailen Cova.
"I am very calm because I also have the possibility of being in a club like Brighton that accompanied me at all times and in which I enjoy being very much, if I do not have to leave the club I will continue very happy there, but I am aware that there will be possibilities and if a good offer arrives for the club and for me we will evaluate it," Mac Allister said.
It is a transfer Liverpool have worked diligently on in the background for some time. While the speculation raged about the future of Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund, those tasked with the recruitment side of things at Anfield discovered, at some stage, the existence of a release clause in a contract that was signed in October.
Once it became clear that Bellingham would take up the lion's share of the transfer budget at a time when more than just one midfield arrival was needed, the club took the decision to eventually step away from the pursuit earlier this year. The fact that there was never any guarantee the England international Bellingham would choose a Liverpool team without Champions League football over Real Madrid was also a major factor.
As a result, Mac Allister was at the top of a new midfield shortlist, although Liverpool were always wary that Manchester United were also interested in the Argentina international. Eventually, though, it became clear that it was a race the Reds were winning and the final whistle after Brighton's 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on May 28 all but confirmed he would be leaving.
If the teary and emotional waving to the away fans on the day wasn't enough of an indication, his manager Roberto De Zerbi, confirmed an imminent departure, saying: "I think that can be the last game of Alexis and Moises (Caicedo), I'm really sorry."
The appointment of Jorg Schmadtke as the club's new sporting director on June 1 might be seen as the catalyst for the Mac Allister move but work had been going on for some time with regards to transfer targets at Anfield. Much of the credit, in fact, should be laid at the feet of Julian Ward, Schmadtke's predecessor, who helped lay much of the groundwork.
Having joined the club officially on a short-term deal at the start of the month, it's understood Schmadtke will now firmly take the lead on all transfer dealings this summer as the rebuilding process goes on behind the scenes.
It's understood Mac Allister had been earmarked as a key target prior to December's World Cup in Qatar but while the midfielder's performances on the grandest stage would normally have resulted in a price hike and bidding wars the existence of his release clause helped smooth the negotiating process.
While Manchester United gradually came to accept it was a transfer hunt that Liverpool were winning, it's been reported that new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino attempt to see if a deal could be done at the 11th hour but Mac Allister had already made up his mind that he wanted to work with Klopp.
Liverpool's football operations team also enjoy a good relationship with Mac Allister's agent, Juan Gemelli, which made the discussions more simplistic for a deal that is believed to be somewhere between £35m and £45m, which, by modern standards, is remarkable value for a World Cup-winning international starter. It is likely this key contact that enabled them to discover the figure at the bottom of the release clause.
Despite the modest sum, the terms cannot be framed as a club - or ownership group - looking to navigate their way through a difficult rebuilding process with cost-cutting Plan Bs due to a lack of Champions League funds. On the contrary, in what is surely the biggest steal involving a Mac Allister since the Wet Bandits attempted a heist in Home Alone 2, Liverpool have their man for a snip.
That sort of shrewd maneuvering can alleviate the external pressure and scrutiny on new signings who are all too often judged solely by factors they cannot control, such as their transfer fee. On the flip side, the savings that will be made on Mac Allister simply have to be used elsewhere for other targets in order for such an astute purchase to have any tangible effect for supporters demanding further additions.
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