Liverpool are hoping to complete the signing of Alexis Mac Allister ‘as fast as they possibly can’ and repeat their previous trick of getting a major piece of transfer business done early.
That’s according to Ben Jacobs, who was speaking to Football FanCast regarding the Reds’ ongoing pursuit of the Brighton midfielder.
The CBS Sports reporter hinted at the possibility of an attempted hijack from Chelsea now that Mauricio Pochettino has been confirmed as their new manager, although he still expects the Merseysiders to get their man before long, similar to the rapidity with which they signed Cody Gakpo last winter.
The journalist said: “The only twist until it’s signed could be a late move from Chelsea, but first of all, Pochettino actually has to come in and start before things like that could move.
“We wait and see on that one, but Mac Allister has always said that he wants to go early. He’s always said that he wants his future resolved as soon as possible when the season ends. Liverpool themselves want to do their business early.
“They always do that; they always try and window plan and make progress to the point where they don’t drag things out if at all possible and much like when they signed Cody Gakpo and it was announced early, it wouldn’t remotely surprise me if Liverpool do exactly the same for Alexis Mac Allister and try to get him in as fast as they possibly can.”
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The example of Gakpo is a pertinent one, with Liverpool suddenly announcing the Dutchman’s signature four days before the January transfer window even opened (LFC official website), while they also quietly sealed the move for Fabinho just a couple of days after losing the 2018 Champions League final (BBC).
Given the abundance of reports on Mac Allister over the past few weeks, his signing wouldn’t be anywhere near as subtle, but the apparent eagerness from both him and the club to get the transfer sorted ASAP will hopefully enable the relevant parties to secure a swift agreement.
If the Reds can wrap up a deal for the Brighton midfielder over the next few days, it’d make a very promising start to the off-season, which would be most welcome off the back of an underwhelming campaign which saw us record our worst Premier League finish in seven years.
Football Insider claimed recently that the move is ‘95% done’, which suggests that at this stage the focus is on nailing down the intricate details of a transfer rather than actively trying to convince the player to come to Anfield.
Jacobs sounds confident that Mac Allister could soon be a Liverpool player, and clinching the deal swiftly would have satisfying echoes of the early winter swoop for Gakpo.