Alexis Mac Allister could be a brilliant half-price Jude Bellingham alternative for Liverpool

ECHO has carried out an in-depth comparison between the reported goals of Liverpool’s Alex Mac All-star and

Alexis Mac Allister and Jude Bellingham have made a name for themselves among England fans this season.

Ironically, both of them made headlines at the Winter World Cup for inflating their price tags tenfold. While Mac Allister eventually emerged victorious and helped Argentina lift the trophy for the first time since 1986 to immortalize his legacy, Bellingham – just 19 years old – was England’s leading name.

The former continued to excel at Brighton, leading the club to a potential European debut season. A winning penalty helped sink Manchester United on Thursday, making Liverpool happy in their Champions League race. Reports in Argentina suggest Mac Allister could join the Reds this summer for £60m. In the weeks leading up to Bellingham’s signing dominated the transfer agenda until Jurgen Klopp dismissed the claims, insisting on realism about what Liverpool can do in the transfer market.

But is there much between the two players? At half the price, could the Mac Allister be a smarter option than its British counterpart?

Well, as far as league goal stats go, absolutely…

Well, as far as league goal statistics are concerned, absolutely…

The 24-year-old’s consolation strike against Everton took his tally to 10 for the season. Bellingham, by contrast, has only netted seven for Borussia Dortmund, despite a double at the weekend. A lot of emphasis is placed on xG, the analytic used to calculate the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.

The data shows that Mac Allister’s xG in 2022-23 is 11.4, considerably higher than Bellingham’s (6.2). Despite operating in a deeper role under Roberto De Zerbi, the Brighton man has the upper hand offensively.

As far as passing is concerned, Mac Allister also comes out on top for accuracy (86.4 percent) – although Bellingham (81.3 percent) has created more goals for his teammates. The England wonderkid’s four assists trump the solitary set-up Mac Allister managed for Joel Veltman against West Ham United earlier in the season.

Their stylistic difference can be analyzed using statistics when both players have possession of the ball. A box-to-box powerhouse with a relentless engine, Bellingham has rushed for 7,238 yards this season and eclipsed Mac Allister’s 5,123 yards. However, the Seagulls midfielder gave away the ball far less often and was denied just 34 times compared to Bellingham’s 55.

Only three duels separate the two players defensively, but Mac Allister (22) is behind the 19-year-old (49) in counters. At Liverpool, however, the Brighton ace would have Fabinho or Jordan Henderson to rely on defensively, while at the heart of Dortmund’s engine room Bellingham is a very active midfielder who can do it all. Both players can claim to enjoy the best season. Finally, Brighton are out of the top four bets and Dortmund have kept the Bundesliga title race going until May – both unthinkable feats at the start of the season.

Liverpool supporters would rejoice at the prospect of signing either star but, as Klopp hinted at last month, only Mac Allister appears a plausible option. Given the stats and his much inferior price tag, you may be surprised to learn he has more than held his own against the future of English football.

Also.. 

Supercomputer predicts Liverpool Champions League chances as Man Utd and Newcastle can be caught

Liverpool are definitely not in the driver’s seat for the Champions League places, but Jürgen Klopp and his players certainly have an opportunity to grow.

As the weeks go on, Liverpool’s small hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League appear to be gaining momentum.

The Reds went on a six-game winning streak on Saturday with another narrow 1-0 win, this time against Brentford at Anfield. Mohamed Salah was the hero again, grabbing the first winner from a Virgil van Dijk header.

The victory moved Liverpool to within a point of fourth-placed Manchester United, and from then on the weekend only got better for Jürgen Klopp’s men. The following day saw Newcastle lose 2-0 at home to Arsenal before Manchester United lost 1-0 at West Ham to a howl from David de Gea.

Newcastle and Manchester United still have a game against Liverpool, but with a tricky run-in for the former and the latter showing signs they have faltered in recent weeks, the Reds will be hoping their pressure pays off.

For his part, Klopp has remained firm in his assertion that the top four are still within reach for their rivals, but the Liverpool boss may well believe his side can close the deficit in their last three games.

Klopp, for his part, has remained steadfast in his assertion that the top four is still in their rivals’ grasp, but the Liverpool boss may well be starting to believe his side can overhaul the deficit in their final three games.

That belief is borne out in FiveThirtyEight’s latest predictions of how the season will finish.

The statistics website’s supercomputer gives each side a percentage based on where they’re likely to finish at the end of the campaign, and the good news for Liverpool is they’ve now been given a 27 per cent chance of finishing in the top four.

Newcastle are still favorites to finish in the top four as they had a 90% chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. However, Manchester United’s chances are dwindling.

Erik ten Hag’s team have a 76% chance of finishing in the top four. While still a favorable figure for them, it is down 91% on the previous week, with defeats to Brighton and West Ham taking their toll.

As for their final points totals, at this stage, Newcastle and Manchester United are predicted to finish on 72 and 71 points respectively. Liverpool, meanwhile, is expected to finish just behind on 68 points.

Liverpool.com says: Newcastle and Man United are clearly still in the driving seat for the top four, but Liverpool is breathing down their necks now, and neither looks overly comfortable with the situation.

With their games in hand, the Reds will need one or both sides to drop points in another two games. And with Klopp’s side in superb form, they might be powerless to stop the Liverpool juggernaut.