Brighton are reportedly set to replace Liverpool-bound midfielder Alexis Mac Allister with the signings of soon-to-be free agents James Milner and Mohamed Dahoud.
As reported by the ECHO on Monday, Liverpool are hopeful of finalising a deal for the 2022 World Cup winner before he joins up with his Argentine team-mates next week, with talks between Anfield officials and their counterparts on the South Coast having taken place in recent days. It is also believed that the player's agent and representatives recently flew to England to set the seal on a deal to bring Mac Allister to Merseyside.
The expected exit of the 24-year-old will be a blow to Brighton who recently qualified for Europe for the first time in their history after finishing the Premier League season in sixth place. It is also probable that long-time Arsenal and Chelsea target Moises Caicedo leaves the Amex this summer.
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According to a report from talkSPORT, however, Roberto De Zerbi's side are close to agreeing deals for Milner and Dahoud after their respective clubs, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, decided not to renew their contracts which are due to expire on June 30.
Speaking in a press conference prior to the Seagulls' match against Newcastle United last month, De Zerbi hinted that a deal for the German midfielder is close, telling reporters: “I know Dahoud very well but it's not official at the moment."
On the other hand, Milner, 37, spent eight years at Anfield and was an instrumental part of Jurgen Klopp's squad that achieved Champions League and Premier League titles in consecutive seasons. He also won the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield during an unforgettable spell on Merseyside.
However, despite Klopp's wishes to extend the veteran's contract by a further 12 months, senior figures at the club were against the idea of renewing his terms and therefore decided it was the right time for Milner to add to his 625 Premier League appearances elsewhere.
Dahoud, meanwhile, is a name that will be familiar to Kopites from his time at Borussia Monchengladbach. Liverpool had been heavily linked with a move for the German international during the 2016 summer transfer window, Klopp's first at the club, as the Reds looked to ready themselves for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Fellow top-four chasers Tottenham Hotspur also showed an interest in the Syrian-born midfielder, but Monchengladbach refused to entertain the sale of the then-21-year-old just weeks after losing captain Granit Xhaka to Arsenal.
Liverpool would instead complete a deal for Newcastle United's Swiss Army Knife Georginio Wijnaldum, while Adam Lallana would enjoy the finest season of his Anfield career in 2016/17 as Liverpool recorded noticeable scalps against Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham on their way to securing a fourth-place finish and consequently ending their three-year absence from Europe's premier competition.
Fast forward 12 months, however, and Dahoud was signing on the dotted lines at the Signal Iduna Park as he completed a £10m move to Borussia Dortmund after rejecting a new contract at Borussia Monchengladbach. During his six years in the North Rhine–Westphalia region, the 27-year-old made over 100 appearances for the club while winning both the DFL-Supercup and DFB-Pokal.
Both Liverpool and Brighton will compete in the Europa League in the 2023/24 season.
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