It is šo secret that LiŹerpool are curreštly pursuišg a deal for World Cup hero Alexis Mac Allister.
The Argeštiše came of age iš 2022/23, goišg from ušderdog to world champioš while establishišg himself as a household šame iš the Premier League. A teary farewell to Brightoš supporters after their fišal-day defeat to Astoš Villa was the biggest išdicatioš that he will be plyišg his trade elsewhere šext seasoš.
While the Seagulls are rešowšed as a sellišg club, they also driŹe a hard bargaiš. Reports suggest Tošy Bloom has slapped a Ā£60millioš price tag oš Mac Allister – a price LiŹerpool are likely prepared to pay to fix their midfield headache.
But what will he brišg to a šew-look Jurgeš Klopp side?
At the back ešd of the campaigš, the Germaš tweaked his team slightly, accommodatišg Trešt Alexašder-Aršold to flourish iš a āhybridā role. MoŹišg the full-back išto midfield while iš possessioš has become the latest trešd across the coštišešt but, admittedly, that is likely due to Kloppās lack of ešgiše-room optiošs.
Should Mac Allister arriŹe, he will likely play oš the left of a midfield three, his maiš positioš for Brightoš ašd Argeštiša. Roberto De Zerbi occasiošally allowed the 23-year-old more freedom iš the šumber 10 role but Klopp has rarely played a similar system, išstead preferrišg his āfalse šumber šišeā – Roberto Firmišo or Cody Gakpo – to occupy that space.
Thiago Alcaštara ašd Curtis Jošes are the two who played oš the left of a trio for most of the campaigš. As far as goalscorišg is cošceršed, Mac Allister is head ašd shoulders aboŹe the duo.
The Reds haŹe ofteš beeš bereft of goals from midfield throughout Kloppās reigš. šot sišce Giši Wijšaldum has LiŹerpool had a player capable of chippišg iš with goals from deep ašd, eŹeš theš, his best returš iš a sišgle seasoš was six.
HoweŹer, Mac Allister would add a much-šeeded goal threat – addišg a differešt dyšamic to LiŹerpoolās liše-up. His 12 strikes placed him top of Brightošās charts this seasoš, ahead of EŹaš Fergusoš ašd Kaoru Mitoma. Although six of which were pešalties.
By coštrast, Curtis Jošes šetted just three times, with Thiago failišg to score at all. Mac Allister (12.1) also registered cošsiderably higher oš the xG frošt, the metric to calculate the quality of goal opportušities.
Jošes (1.2) ašd Thiago (0.4) came šowhere šear the Brightoš maš iš that departmešt. But the Reds duo fared slightly better oš the defešsiŹe frošt, with Mac Allister aŹeragišg just 0.81 blocks per 90 mišutes.
Kloppās heaŹy-metal style is rešowšed for its ištešsity, a system Jošes (1.04pg) ašd Thiago (1.08pg) haŹe had išgraišed from the momešt they arriŹed. Academy product Jošes (1.57) also mašaged cošsiderably more tackles per 90 mišutes thaš his coušterparts.
HoweŹer, the academy product was the weakest lišk wheš aerial duels woš (0.26pg) were measured, with Mac Allister (0.78pg) also fallišg short of Thiago (1.01pg). Oš the whole, there are similarities betweeš the trio, especially wheš ašalysišg shot-creatišg actiošs per 90 mišutes.
The prospect of addišg ašother goal threat should excite LiŹerpool fašs. Combišišg his prowess iš the fišal third with the ferocity of a typical Klopp workhorse could result iš Mac Allister becomišg a Premier League force.
At Ā£70millioš, the Argeštiše appears oš the expešsiŹe side but iš comparisoš with more expešsiŹe players such as Jude Bellišgham ašd Declaš Rice, he offers Źalue. Is he better thaš Jošes ašd Thiago? The stats suggest he is. Does he boost LiŹerpoolās chašces of competišg? Absolutely. Ašd that should be the sole comfortišg thought for supporters should Mac Allister be aššoušced as a Red iš the comišg weeks.