Liverpool has own version of Lionel Messi that $44m transfer is about to further unlock

After signing Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool’s midfield underwent a significant improvement under Jürgen Klopp. The ex-Brighton player will aid the Reds’ assault, though.

Alexis Mac Allister was acquired by Liverpool, and the Argentine can fill a range of roles in the Reds’ midfield. Jürgen Klopp probably sought to bring him to Anfield for this reason among others.

 

Mac Allister began his career as a number 10 in South America (the jersey number he will wear for Liverpool), but under Graham Potter, he occasionally played as a number six and can also play a more box-to-box role.

It is most likely that Mac Allister will mainly play in one of the more advanced number eight positions for Liverpool, which is the closest thing to a number 10 that Klopp’s formation has.

 

From there, though, it will be interesting to see the exact nature of the positions that Mac Allister takes up. If he plays from the left where Curtis Jones has been playing, he could become a Philippe Coutinho-type attacking midfielder for Liverpool.

But the role on the right is the one that is more obviously up for grabs at the moment, though there could yet be another signing with that position — occupied by Jordan Henderson last season — in mind.

Wherever it is that Mac Allister pops up, there is a good chance that those more attacking options will be granted freedom within the system to strike up relationships around the pitch.

 

During the World Cup, where Mac Allister’s role and importance grew as the tournament progressed, he found a good connection with Lionel Messi down the right-hand side of the pitch and appeared in those areas more prominently, including assisting Ángel Di María from the right during the final

How is that relevant to Liverpool? Well, quite simply, it is not that hard to imagine a similar scenario with Mac Allister and Liverpool’s own version of Messi in Mohamed Salah— another huge goal threat who starts from the right but tries to be central and close to goal as much as possible.

 

If Mac Allister was to become the right-sided midfielder, with Trent Alexander-Arnold behind him and Salah in front, that would be quite the trio when it comes to attacking threat.

 

While Henderson has played the role well to an extent, the more attack-minded nature of the midfield after Klopp’s change of system exposed some of the limitations that the Liverpool captain has in the final third.