Liverpool looked at a variety of midfield options that might have been more expensive last season, but a $44 million option is quickly becoming a jurgen klopp masterstroke. for a variety of reasons, liverpool will remember the summer of 2023 fondly.
Despite missing out on moisés caicedo and jude bellingham, jürgen klopp’s side brought in four stars who have proven to be transformative. After a season in which the reds finished fifth and missed out on the champions league, they had to do it right.
Liverpool did well enough to attract klopp that now feels it is the right time for him to move forward. His squad has progressed to a point where he now feels comfortable handing the baton to someone else.
The best of the midfielders have been obvious so far. Dominik szoboszlai started off very well, but has stalled since due to exhaustion and then injury.
Wataru end has been good, but it is not necessarily the right option at the base of the reds’ midfield. Ryan gravenberch has a lot of talent, but he has been inconsistent to this point.
Since adjusting to the demands placed on him, alexis mac allister has been largely successful. He has been in excellent shape over the past few weeks, no matter what position in the liverpool midfield he has been deployed.
Darwin nez nodded in at the city ground on saturday, and although he looked jaded between an hour and 90 minutes, he never gave up. Mac allister saw nez and picked him out with his weaker foot.
At the end of the whistle, mac allister said, “it was a special day for us.” “to win it like this is not easy.” I knew it was the last minute, so i just had to put it in and darwin did the rest.”
Chelsea spent $146 million (£115 million/€134 million) on caicedo last summer, and six months earlier, todd boehly had splashed $136 million (£107 million/€125 million) on enzo fernández. Arsenal paid $133 million (£105 million/€122 million) for declan rice, while real madrid bought bellingham for a relatively modest initial price of $111 million (£88 million/€102 million).
Liverpool exploited mac allister’s release clause. The argentine could leave for just $44 million (£35 million/€41 million) if it seems to be an error from brighton.
There were a number of other clubs interested, including manchester united and chelsea, but liverpool acted quickly and got the deal done. You could have bought three mac allisters for the same price as rice, or you could have had more change by signing three mac allisters rather than caicedo or fernández.
Bellingham had eyes on real madrid and is clearly a generational talent, but even the former borussia dortmund man looks expensive when compared to liverpool’s value.
Mac allister is a versatile player who can dictate from deep and find more spaces at the base of the liverpool midfield, where he can do so much more for himself long-term. The 25-year-old has been outstanding in recent weeks, whether it is playing there or a little more advanced.
Mac allister looks like a masterstroke of a signing the more he plays. He was the one who started what has turned out to be klopp’s last summer at anfield. He has been the favorite of the bunch so far.
