Manchester United in talks to sign Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton: report

By
published

Manchester United have identified Brighton schemer Alexis Mac Allister as a potential fix for their midfield, looking to beat Chelsea and Liverpool to his signature

Manchester United target Alexis Mac Allister celebrates after their side scored their second goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.
(Image credit: Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Manchester United have held talks over signing Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton & Hove Albion. 

The Red Devils are said to be interested in bringing a new midfielder to Old Trafford among other targets. Should Manchester United land the Argentine World Cup winner, they could beat the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea to his signature. 

Both the Reds and the Blues have been linked with Mac Allister in recent months but both have seemed keener on the Brighton man's international midfield team-mates. Moises Caicedo has been more readily linked with Liverpool, while Chelsea landed Enzo Fernandes for their side in January. 

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag makes notes during his side's 7-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League in March 2023.

Manchester United are in the market for a new midfielder (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to CBS Sports, United have held discussions over signing Mac Allister, with Brighton said to have doubled his asking price, since he rose to prominence at the 2022 World Cup. 

"Most monitoring Mac Allister before Qatar valued him at £25-30m," CBS's Ben Jacobs claimed. "Brighton would expect that at least doubled. They'd basically want around what Chelsea paid for Marc Cucurella (£62m)."

This rapid rise is reflected in Mac Allister's own anecdote, "Before the World Cup, I was at the La Pampa airport and only one person recognised me. After the World Cup, there were 20,000 waiting for me."

The midfielder is enjoying a stunning season domestically, too. The Seagulls are eighth in the table, seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with three games in hand – meaning European football is a distinct possibility on the south coast. 

Leandro Trossard of Brighton & Hove Albion celebrates after scoring their sides first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on October 01, 2022 in Liverpool, England.

Brighton are enjoying a fine season in the Premier League (Image credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images))

United are also said to be in the market for a goalkeeper, defensive cover and a striker, with the likes of Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen touted for moves. 

Mac Allister is valued at around €42 million by Transfermarkt. 

More Manchester United stories

Manchester United are looking to capitalise on their resurgence in the transfer market, with big new signings. Victor Osimhen is one option for €100m, Declan Rice is on the radar and Jeremie Frimpong could arrive as a new right-back. More outlandish theories include signing Kylian Mbappe and selling Marcus Rashford to Arsenal. 

The Glazer ownership are not guaranteed to sell up – despite bids from lifelong fan, Sir Jim Radcliffe and Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has underlined the importance of positive mentality at Old Trafford. 

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.