Alexis Mac Allister will be signed to go “straight into the first team” at Liverpool next season, says the legendary John Barnes.
And the iconic former winger believes the midfielder will arrive at Anfield with huge expectations placed on him given his performances for both Brighton and World Cup winners Argentina last season.
As the ECHO reported on Monday, Liverpool are hopeful of wrapping up a deal with Brighton before the Argentina star heads off for international duty later this month.
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Mac Allister was earmarked as Liverpool’s primary transfer target following the cooling of interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and the Reds have moved quickly behind the scenes to ensure the 24-year-old is in position to sign once the window officially opens later this month.
Barnes believes Mac Allister will come with huge demands placed on him as the Reds aim to rebuild a midfield department that lost James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita at the end of the season.
“I think Alexis Mac Allister will come with a huge reputation and expectation to be a starter,” Barnes told BonusCodeBets. “When you're signing a midfield player like him, they're going to go straight into the team.
"If we sign a forward, then he may have to fight for his place unless he's the best forward in the world. But in the midfield, if it's a player you want, he's going to go straight into the team, a hundred percent.
"Be it Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice, be it any of them. I don't think they're going to sign midfield players to be part of the squad. Whereby if they sign a wide player, you could say that he'd be a squad player. If they're signing a midfield player, he's going to go straight into the team."
The Seagulls star is believed to have a release clause in a contract that was signed in October, although it is unclear at this stage what the fee would be for Liverpool to trigger it.
Mac Allister, who will likely be involved when Argentina meet Australia on June 15, is currently on an end-of-season holiday in Miami.
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