Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on Alexis Mac Allister, who has settled in seamlessly since joining Liverpool last summer, ahead of the Argentina midfielder’s meeting with former club Brighton.
Jurgen Klopp says Alexis Mac Allister has exceeded expectations in his first season as a Liverpool player.
The Argentina international arrived in a deal worth an estimated £35million from Brighton last summer as part of the Reds’ midfield rebuild. And Klopp, whose title-chasing side return to action against Mac Allister’s former club on Sunday afternoon, has hailed the 25-year-old.
“Alexis is exactly the player I hoped he would be; super-influential, super-smart, great guy. [He] loves playing for Liverpool as well, which is really important,” Klopp said.
“He’s a rhythm-giver, he’s a difference-maker, [he] can control moments of the game. [He is] always there, always involved, nothing is too much for him, he’s really a top, top, top player. But we had that sense when we signed him and he fulfilled all our expectations and more.”
A win for Liverpool at Anfield would move them top of the table before Arsenal, who lead on goal difference ahead of this weekend’s action, travel to reigning champions Manchester City.
And Klopp says his team, despite plenty of changes to the squad, are “ready for the fight” with the experience of previous run-ins set to stand them in good stead.
“It is important,” Klopp added. “It’s now clear what you are fighting for. What do you know before a season? When we played a season like we did last year, afterwards it was quite a restructuring of the team.
“The machine room was completely new, we had no idea (what it would be like). A late number six coming in, another number six injured early on, one of the young guns [Stefan Bajcetic].
“We had to create an idea and we did. We found a way together and I love so much about how the boys have taken to it. Yes, there’s a lot of excitement involved as well. Dom Szoboszlai still cannot get enough of Premier League football. You could play every 10 minutes with him and he’d still be very excited about that!
“We are not that experienced with this group. But everything I learned about them this season, they are ready for the fight. And what more can I ask for?”
Liverpool remain without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker, full back Trent-Alexander Arnold, forward Diogo Jota, while Curtis Jones and Andy Robertson are major doubts. But Darwin Nunez is “fine” according to Klopp after the striker pulled out of Uruguay’s squad for the recent international window.
