Liverpool made their first signing of the summer when Alexis Mac Allister arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £35m.
The move saw a World Cup-winner arrive on Merseyside as his historic season continued after leading the Seagulls to European qualification for the first time in their history. Mac Allister arrived as four are set to depart as free agents upon the expiry of their contracts at the end of the month.
Three of the quartet were options in Liverpool's engine room as James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita bid farewell to Anfield. The latter two players were often unfortunately unavailable for selection through injuries during their Anfield spell, which makes the need for the recruitment to be right this summer extra important.
The signature of the Argentina midfielder was seen as an important signing after a dismal season at Anfield for the Reds.
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Earlier this month, the arrival of Mac Allister was greeted with elation and excitement as Liverpool swatted off other competition to lure the midfielder to Anfield. The ECHO has already sought the verdict of Argentinian sports journalist Rosario Pompizzi who lauded him as a "silent warrior", while a deep dive gathered insight from leading figures from the continent.
Due to the illustrious history of the Reds, they have gathered fans and supporters groups from all over the world with bases dotted in every continent. With a wide array of iconic players from all four corners of the world, the momentum of supporters' groups has accelerated alongside the recent success and the heightened number of users on social media.
One of which is Official Liverpool Supporters Club Buenos Aires. Founded in 2012, they celebrated a decade of association with Liverpool last year and the base was sparked when an Irish fan called Kyran moved to South America.
And the signing of the former Argentina Juniors and Boca Juniors midfielder for England's most successful club just months after making history with la Albiceleste has certainly caught the attention of the country.
"[There was] a lot," Matias, from the supporter's group, told the ECHO on the media coverage over Mac Allister's move from the south coast to the north west. "There were only two subjects in the sport news media during the last weeks: where is Messi going and Mac Allister signing with Liverpool.
"Every World Cup winner is an idol here so people are really keen on tracking his career, even the ones who don't watch football regularly."
After the Champions League final success in 2019, the supporters' group has been especially active with fans meeting up to watch the showpiece final in Madrid as the Reds took on Tottenham Hotspur.
Football is often perceived to be a universal language and with their common love for the Reds, Liverpool Buenos Aires, an offspring of the group, has been created to play in several Sunday league tournaments - matching the success 11,136 kilometres away, being crowned champions three times.
"The feeling was unanimous: 'Alexis is exactly who we need,'" Matias continues. "[With] the desire to have an Argentinian playing for Liverpool again, we couldn't wait for the club to confirm the deal. We are absolutely delighted."
Mac Allister continued his trend of acquiring the No.10 shirt - iconic with Liverpool figures like John Barnes and Sadio Mane, but also synonymous with Argentinian legend Maradona.
The choice to take up the shirt number has made the affinity between Argentina and Liverpool grow further. "It makes us feel even closer to the team and watching him wearing such an emblematic number as the 10...it couldn't be more special," Matias said.
For many natives on the South American continent, they watched the midfielder blossom from Argentina Juniors to Boca Junior before jetting across the world, signing for Brighton who were managed by Chris Hughton at the time.
The 24-year-old is one of three brothers, sons of former Argentina defender Carlos Mac Allister. With the expectation of having a father who played internationally, the pressure can be overwhelming but the midfielder continues to push past the barrier.
"Alexis has always mantained a low profile on and off the pitch, but we knew he was special and that he was destined to big things," the Buenos Aires Liverpool supporters' group member explains. "Being a son of an ex-footballer is difficult here because people expect much more than from any other player, but he has proven that he got what it takes to be where he is.
"During his time playing in the Argentinian League, Alexis showed a lot of his qualities especially in the offensive aspects of the game, but I think he evolved into a more complete player while playing for Brighton.
"He got into the national team just before the World Cup and won his place in the starting line-up during the tournament, that pretty much sums up how fast he has developed in the last year."
During Mac Allister's first interview with the club, he mentioned the parallels between Liverpool and Argentinian giants Boca Juniors.
"I played for Boca Juniors and I feel like Liverpool is that kind of team where the fans are supporting the whole game. I'm really looking forward to playing in front of our fans and showing what we can do," he said speaking to the official club website.
Matias agrees and notes the comparisons with the Reds and the Azul y Oro.
"You could definitely link up Liverpool with Boca Juniors for a lot of reasons," he said. "Both historically known for being supported by the working class population, being them extremely passionate and standing with the team until the end no matter what.
"Also Anfield and La Bombonera are two stadiums that can frighten any other team because of the loudness of their chants and how the local team rises while playing home.
"I have no doubts Alexis Mac Allister will feel like home at Liverpool."
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