Liverpool’s No. 10 has been one of the standout performers this season.
Entering the 2023/24 season, there were a lot of concerns on the Liverpool side as a whole, following the overall disappointment of the previous season.
A big emphasis was placed on the middle of the park, and the Reds certainly responded with heavy reinforcement, bringing in Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, and of course, Alexis Mac Allister, with the Argentinian proving to be the absolute steal of the bunch for his £35 million price tag.
Coming in as a versatile midfielder from Brighton, Mac Allister’s skill set definitely saw him being deployed all over the midfield as Liverpool navigated a combination of injury and tight scheduling.
The Argentinian’s performances as a deep lying holding midfielder, or either side of the central midfield, has earned him considerable plaudits from fans and pundits alike, with many claiming that he is the Reds’ first midfielder on the team sheet.
The 2022 World Cup winner has all the qualities to become one of the most complete midfielders in the world. In a deep-lying defensive role, a position he played earlier in the season, Mac Allister looked like he’d been playing the role all his life.
He doesn’t look the part, but the Argentinian has the steel to match his creativity. His 5.7 ground duels won per game is higher than the likes of Rodri and Declan Rice, two of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders.
In addition, his 1.4 interceptions per game is matched only by Rice, whose Arsenal team holds the league’s best defensive record, indicating Mac Allister’s tendency to support the back line as much as he likes to terrorize the opposition.
As good as he is defensively though, further forward is where Mac Allister truly shines. It’s no coincidence that his goal and assist numbers started gaining traction when he was moved further up the pitch while having a true defensive midfielder like Wataru Endo hang back.
This was on full display throughout the match against Nottingham Forest. Despite the Reds struggling to find the back of the net until very late on, Mac Allister kept things ticking, creating six chances, including the sublime assist for the Darwin Nunez winner.
It was truly an all action performance for the Argentinian, who has stepped up to provide leadership to an injury hit midfield.
There have been quite a few bargain signings throughout the Klopp era. Joel Matip and James Milner on free transfers, €42.00m for Mo Salah, or the €41.20m for Sadio Mane are notable examples.
While there is an element of earliness to the distinction, Mac Allister definitely has supreme potential to be labeled as such.
As good as the Argentinian is, he is only 25 years old, and getting better each day. There is the likelihood that, in a few years, he’ll be among the very best in his position, which, as Liverpool fans presents a mouth-watering prospect.
With the last stretch of the season on the horizon, the Reds will look to Mac Allister to provide the midfield quality to hopefully add more to the trophy cabinet and finish Jurgen Klopp’s final season on a high.
The Argentinian has already won football’s biggest prize, the World Cup, and with an EFL Cup winner’s medal already secured, there’s no doubt he’d want to continue the feeling of winning trophies as much as he can.
The future looks bright for the Reds, and this is in part due to Mac Allister’s outstanding play. It certainly looks like we’ve got a gem on our hands.
