Brighton CEO speaks out on Liverpool interest in Alexis Mac Allister transfer

Liverpool are on the hunt for new midfielders this summer as Jurgen Klopp prepares to freshen up his squad

Brighton CEO Paul Barber revealed little when asked about the future of midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

The world champions have been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in recent weeks. A report from the player’s home country on Sunday suggested a deal has been agreed between the two clubs ahead of the new season.

ECHO understands that the midfielder is one of the club’s priority targets in the coming window.

Mac Allister has been instrumental in the Seagulls’ success this season, which has seen Roberto De Zerbi’s side secure European football for the first time in their history. UEFA Conference League football is guaranteed for 2023/24 and they could still find themselves in the Europa League depending on their last two results.

The success of the 24-year-old and his team-mates has not escaped other clubs in the division, who are now on the hunt for Brighton’s best players towards the end of the season. Moises Caicedo is expected to be the other top exit alongside Mac Allister, something even De Zerbi couldn’t deny while speaking after his side’s recent 3-0 win over Arsenal.

During an interview with talkSPORT, Barber was specifically asked about Mac Allister’s future and refused to shed light on the potential of the Argentina international who is set to leave.

“I saw him down on the pitch looking very happy and obviously we want him to be here next season,” stated the Brighton chief. “Obviously we know there’s going to be a lot of clubs, not just in this country, around Europe and around the world, that are going to be wanting him to play for them. But, at the moment he’s wearing blue and white stripes and I’m delighted about that.

“If I lost sleep over every report that I read about one of our players doing that, then I wouldn’t be sleeping very much at all. At the moment, he’s focused on doing what he can for us during his final two games.”

Also.. 

Should Cody Gakpo’s ‘goal’ for Liverpool against Aston Villa have stood? And should Tyrone Mings have been sent off?

In the latest Ref Watch, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher reflects on the most controversial moments from the weekend’s games.

Liverpool 1-1 Aston Villa

INCIDENT: With Liverpool trailing 1-0 to Aston Villa, Cody Gakpo equalizes but an offside check is called on Virgil van Dijk, who was flagged for offside earlier after Luis Diaz’s header was blocked by Ezri Konsa. VAR note that Konsa made no real attempt to play the ball, meaning Van Dijk was ruled offside.

VERDICT: Correct decision in law, but it’s tricky.

DERMOT SAYS: “In law Gakpo’s goal shouldn’t have stood, the officials have got it correct. The way it is written, the referees are in a pickle with it.

“This is a very tough law to interpret. It’s all about if the player makes a genuine attempt to play the ball. Does he go to block the ball, does it strike him?

“If you look at this incident, the VAR can’t decide. He has to send the referee to the monitor because it has to be the referee’s decision and it has to be subjective.

“A block is a block. A genuine attempt to play the ball is to take the ball under control, clear it for a corner or to clear it up field.

“The referee has to second guess the player’s [Konsa] intention. The law as it is written doesn’t help the officials. If I was that player I would probably be upset.

“It’s a very unfortunate part of the law which leaves the officials hamstrung.”

INCIDENT: In the first half, Tyrone Mings is penalised for a high boot on Cody Gakpo, in which the Villa defender catches the Liverpool forward in the chest. The referee gives Mings a yellow card.

Dermot Gallagher says Tyrone Mings should have seen red for his high boot challenge against Cody Gakpo, which saw the Liverpool forward left with visible cuts.

VERDICT: It’s a red card.

DERMOT SAYS: “There are stud marks all up his chest, he caught him at the top of his chest. He’ll say he got the ball but that doesn’t negate that as we saw with Casemiro earlier in the season.

“For me if you put your studs that high into someone’s chest you are lucky to stay on the field.

“When you are face to face on the field you can’t do that.”