Following Argentina’s World Cup triumph, one of La Albiceleste’s stars has been thrown into the spotlight following a series of consistent performances on the pitch to help his nation win their third world title. Alexis Mac Allister was one of the best-performing midfielders in Qatar and he is being tipped to be at the centre of a bidding war amongst some of Europe’s elite.
They seem to forget the Argentinian is already plying his trade in the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion. And what some people don’t seem to realise is that the Seagulls were ahead of the curve. Mac Allister moved to the Amex Stadium in 2019 from Argentinos Juniors but spent the first six months on loan with Boca Juniors back in his homeland.
It is a credit to Brighton’s scouting network for unearthing one of Argentina’s brightest talents, but it is also a credit to the coaching staff for honing his skillset on his journey to become a key figure for his national team and now a World Cup champion. He got to share and bask in Argentina’s third world title alongside Lionel Messi. Sharing the stage with footballing royalty runs in the Mac Allister family. Alexis’ father, Carlos, played alongside Diego Maradona in 1993.
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Mac Allister has grown as a player over the past two years and in the starting phase of the 2022-23 season before the World Cup, he was playing his best football in a Brighton shirt and people were starting to notice and wonder how they pipped top clubs to such a talent. The Seagulls, like their feathered namesake on a beach, saw something they liked and swooped in.
Blessed 🐐
Upon reflection of the past few weeks, that particular £7 million transfer Brighton completed in January 2019 is likely going to be one of the best in their history. Not in terms of Mac Allister going on to be a hero on the south coast by winning them multiple trophies (never say never), but because of the significant profit they are likely to make should the player be sold in the future.
Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked with the Argentine from England alone and there are a lot more big guns across Europe with an interest in snapping up one of the top performers in Qatar. Brighton hold all the cards right now because they played a blinder ahead of the World Cup by extending Mac Allister’s contract until 2025, with a year’s option in their favour.
They will be in no rush to sell one of their best players and biggest financial assets. And if Mac Allister’s fine form continues when the Premier League resumes, his price tag will continue to rise. Mac Allister hasn’t given any indication that he wants an immediate move away from Brighton. And why would he? His development at Brighton got him back into the Argentina squad and has seen him lift football’s grandest prize.
There is a strong chance that he will join a European giant in the future, but right now, he seems to be enjoying his football with the Seagulls and Brighton fans are happy to have him grace their midfield.
