Roberto de Zerbi has admitted that Liverpool transfer target Alexis Mac Allister could've played his final game for Brighton, hinting that he'll be allowed to "play at a higher level."
Mac Allister, 24, was in tears when the Seagulls' superb season came to an end on Sunday and is understood to be edging closer to a switch to Anfield worth in the region of £60million. After his Brighton side fell to a disappointing 2-1 loss away to Aston Villa, boss De Zerbi confessed that the highly-rated Argentine midfielder could've bowed out alongside in-demand team-mate Moises Caicedo.
"I think it can be the last game for Alexis and Moises," the Brighton manager confessed post-match. "I am really sorry because they are two great people and two great players but the policy of Brighton is like this. It is right that they can leave, they can play at higher level."
Fans sang Mac Allister's name from the away end and it was all too much for the 24-year-old, who burst into tears as De Zerbi put his arm around him. While Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are the favourites for his signature, Brighton CEO Paul Barber insists that no club has finalised a deal amid reports that Mac Allister's father and agent, Carlos, is due to fly into the UK next week in an effort to confirm his son's transfer to Anfield.
"I saw him down on the pitch looking very happy and obviously we want him to be here next season," Barber told 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."
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Mac Allister himself has been reluctant to discuss his future, telling fans that he's happy on the south coast. "I have been here for three-and-a-half years and I know what this club has given to me," the Argentina international, who won the World Cup in December, stated earlier this month.
"I am really grateful for it. I am very happy to be here and I try to transmit that to my teammates, to the young players and the South American players. It is a fantastic team. We are like a big family. Every time I get on the pitch I really enjoy playing here."
