Manchester United have held internal discussions over a potential summer transfer window move for £60million-rated Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, according to Ben Jacobs in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
Mac Allister has impressed in his time in the Premier League, and also really caught the eye as he helped Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar back in December 2022, with a big move perhaps now ahead of him in the coming months.
The 24-year-old is wanted by Man Utd, while Jacobs adds that Man City have also discussed him as an option, and that Liverpool and Chelsea could be worth watching as well.
United need a strong summer in the transfer market after a slightly mixed first season under Erik ten Hag, with Mac Allister perhaps ideal to give the team something a bit different in midfield.
Ten Hag could surely do well to bring in upgrades on players like Fred and Scott McTominay, while Christian Eriksen is also not likely to be the most long-term option.
Mac Allister could perfectly fit the bill, but it’s clear the Argentina international won’t come cheap, with Brighton showing themselves to be tough negotiators in recent times.
“A slightly cheaper option from Brighton could be Mac Allister. Manchester City and Manchester United have discussed him internally, but nothing more than that at this point,” Jacobs wrote.
“Liverpool and Chelsea are ones to watch as well. Mac Allister is contracted until 2025 with an option to extend by one year. And off the back of him winning the World Cup with Argentina we are seeing some pretty high figures flying around.
“Although Brighton don’t directly offer quotes to suitors for players they don’t plan to sell, insiders suggest £60m+ is what the Seagulls may expect. That’s quite a lot more than the numbers suitors have him valued at dating back to both January and before the World Cup, with valuations ranging from £27-35m. I think that type of bid now would get laughed out the room.
“But as the World Cup hype wears off, and his contract runs down slightly, let’s see how Brighton react to incoming bids. Mac Allister, at this point I am told, will assess his options come summer. Although he speaks glowingly about the Premier League, he is not against going to another European league. His priority is playing Champions League football regularly.”