Jamie Carragher has hailed Alexis Mac Allister as a ‘great signing’ for Liverpool, although he sounded one note of caution about the acquisition of the former Brighton midfielder.
The Argentine joined the Reds in midweek for a reported £35m (Fabrizio Romano), becoming the club’s first signing of the summer transfer window and their first permanent senior midfield acquisition since Thiago Alcantara in September 2020.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a memorable 12 months, winning the World Cup with Argentina and netting 10 Premier League goals (Transfermarkt) in helping the Seagulls to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
Carragher branded the apparent £35m fee for Mac Allister a ‘steal’ for Liverpool, although he warned that other players who impressed at Brighton have flopped elsewhere following headline transfers.
The former Reds defender told Sky Sports: “He’s certainly a good player. Whether he ends up being a good signing we’ll see when the season starts. It looks like he can play every position in midfield, which will help Liverpool. He looks a super talent.
“Brighton are a brilliant team, but the only thing I’d say is a lot of players who’ve come out of Brighton haven’t replicated the Brighton form in other teams. Is that because they’re part of a special system at Brighton? De Zerbi has been fantastic this season, so that’ll be interesting to see.
“But I do think it’s a great signing considering the price as well. £35m is a steal for a World Cup winner and someone who’s got Premier League experience and is only 24.”
Carragher does have a point about players who starred at the Amex Stadium struggling elsewhere, with Marc Cucurella and Neal Maupay subsequently making little impression for Chelsea and Everton respectively.
However, like he says, Mac Allister has shown enough over the past year to suggest that he could be a roaring success for Liverpool and go on to make £35m look an absolute bargain for him.
You can see the clip of Carragher’s comments below, via @SkySportsPL on Twitter:
Jamie Carragher has described Liverpool's new signing Alexis Mac Allister as a 'super talent', but expects his former club to sign at least three more players in the summer transfer window ✍️🪟 pic.twitter.com/00gh7AxSn4
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 10, 2023