Brighton and Hove Albion CEO Paul Barber has been speaking to talkSPORT (19 December, 11 am) about the attention Alexis Mac Allister has been getting at the World Cup, and admitted there is interest in the midfielder.
Mac Allister was one of the standout performers for Argentina as the South American side claimed their first World Cup title since 1986. He scored one goal and provided one assist throughout the tournament (Transfermarkt).
The creative midfielder signed for Brighton in January 2019 from Argentinos Juniors, but spent the next 12 months on loan in his native country, with his former club and with Boca Juniors.
When finally given his chance in the Premier League, Mac Allister has developed his game at an impressive rate.
The 23-year-old now has 13 goals and six assists in 86 games for Brighton (Transfermarkt) and is having a particularly prolific campaign so far, with five goals in 14 Premier League games this season (Transfermarkt).
Mac Allister’s form both domestically and on the World Cup stage has led to interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid (L’Interista), but Barber insists Brighton are doing their best to keep hold of their star man.
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He said: “To have a World Cup winner in our ranks is a fantastic achievement. Obviously, we are delighted. We felt Alexis has been performing really well all season.
“He’s been growing into the Premier League. We were confident in his ability and his character. He’s a really calm presence, a nice lad off the pitch and a very, very good footballer.”
On the attention Mac Allister is getting, Barbed added: “I think when players do well, when their profile increases, there’s always interest.
“There was interest before the World Cup, and I’m sure there will be even more afterwards. We were working on a new contact in the build-up to the World Cup. We met Alexis’ father several times.
“All you can do in situations where you’ve got a great asset is to try and protect yourself as best as possible. We hope Alexis will continue to play with us for some time to come.”
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I’m not surprised Brighton are moving to get Mac Allister tied into a new contract, because they’re going to be getting offers for him regardless. At least with a new contract, they can get the kind of money they want and arguably deserve. I just hope Spurs make a move at the right time and get a deal over the line for him, because Mac Allister is a real talent.
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