Neil Jones has said that one reported Liverpool transfer target ‘fits the bill perfectly’ for what the Reds are seeking this summer.
Alexis Mac Allister is among the foremost names in recent speculation surrounding potential incomings at Anfield, with Fabrizio Romano revealing to CaughtOffside that a ‘direct meeting’ has been held with the Brighton midfielder over a possible move to Merseyside.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have also been linked with Manuel Ugarte, although Jacque Talbot reported this week that FSG could be reluctant to meet the Uruguayan’s £53m release clause due to other midfielders featuring higher on the priority list than the Sporting Lisbon man.
Speaking to The Redmen TV, Jones hinted that there’ll likely be ‘a lot of Premier League readiness in what Liverpool do this summer’, which suggests that their main focus is to raid players from fellow English top-flight clubs rather than scouring overseas markets.
Regarding which of Mac Allister or Ugarte is likelier to join the Reds, the journalist leaned towards the former, saying: “If it was either or – no contest.
“I think he’s clearly going to leave Brighton. I think there’s still competition to get him. I think he’s got other clubs that would like to sign him. There’s still a bit of work to do on that. I think he fits the bill perfectly for Liverpool, in terms of his all-round game.”
READ MORE: ‘Exceptional’ Liverpool forward shortlisted for Premier League Player of the Month
Judging by what Jones said regarding ‘Premier League readiness’ being a key criterion for FSG in terms of summer transfer targets, Mac Allister would clearly be the more probable signing compared to Ugarte.
Prior to the Seagulls’ clash against Manchester United tonight, the Argentine has played 91 times in the English top flight, scoring 14 times in the division (Transfermarkt).
His average WhoScored rating of 7.05 this season would place him fifth in Liverpool’s squad, so he’d likely adapt comfortably in Klopp’s side, particularly given his prior knowledge of the league.
A comparison of Mac Allister and Ugarte on FBref shows that the former offers far more of a goal threat and takes many more shots, along with having a better aerial duel success rate, while the latter wins more tackles and has a better passing accuracy.
In truth, both would be tremendous additions to the Reds’ midfield, but if it comes down to choosing one over the other, Jones’ assertion indicates that the Brighton man would seem the more realistic target to pursue.
You can see the journalist’s verdict in full below, via The Redmen TV on YouTube: