Liverpool are looking into whether Alexis Mac Allister has a release clause they can trigger this summer.
According to various reports, Mac Allister is now one of the Reds key targets for their midfield rebuild. Weighing in on those claims this evening, The Telegraph write that Liverpool ‘will compete’ for the Brighton man’s signature in the coming months.
Manchester United and Newcastle United are named as two other clubs who could come into the picture. All three – and perhaps more – are reportedly set to determine whether Mac Allister has a release clause in his contract.
The 24-year-old signed a new deal with Brighton just before the World Cup last year. The contract runs until 2025, with an option for an extra year. Clubs are said to be preparing to sniff around for a fixed selling fee written into the deal.
Mac Allister reportedly isn’t the only midfielder Liverpool are targeting this summer. Although he’s given up on Jude Bellingham, Jurgen Klopp is claimed to have ‘looked at’ Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch as an option.
Liverpool moving quick on Mac Allister
The presence of a release clause doesn’t appear to be a deal-breaker for Liverpool here. According to reports this evening, the Reds have already gone as far as offering Mac Allister a contract.
They wouldn’t take that drastic step if they weren’t already confident of striking a deal with Brighton. And although it’s been claimed that the Seagulls will ask for £70m to sell their No.10, that seems unlikely to happen.
Instead, somewhere around the £50m mark would feel somewhat more acceptable.
If there is a release clause somewhere in that new deal though, it would explain why Liverpool are acting so fast. That it isn’t public knowledge could mean that other clubs aren’t aware of it. As a result, if they agree things on Mac Allister’s side, they can get a clear head-start.
It could also mean that the World Cup winner can be signed for cheaper than initially anticipated.
Fabrizio Romano has claimed on Twitter this evening that May and June will be crucial months in any potential deal. It seems that we’ll know the answers to all these questions soon enough.