Manchester United have reportedly held 'internal talks' over a possible summer swoop for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
The 24-year-old has elevated his game to new heights for club and country during the 2022-23 campaign, playing a starring role for both Brighton and Argentina.
Mac Allister was one of the breakout stars at the 2022 World Cup with champions Argentina, contributing with a group-stage goal and an assist in the final across his six starts in Qatar.
The midfielder has also established himself as a key player for Brighton this term, finding the net eight times in 23 games across all competitions, with his performances helping Roberto De Zerbi's men challenge for a top-six finish in the Premier League.
Mac Allister is understood to have caught the eye of a number of top European clubs, with Man United and Arsenal said to have recently joined the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the race for his signature.
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According to journalist Ben Jacobs, via CaughtOffside, the Red Devils have internally discussed a summer move for Mac Allister, but he claims that Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea are also exploring the possibility of luring the Argentine away from the Amex Stadium.
Jacobs adds that Mac Allister's priority is to play Champions League football on a regular basis and has suggested that the midfielder could cost in excess of £60m.
Mac Allister joined Brighton from Argentinos Juniors for around €8m (£6.9m) in January 2019 and has since made a total of 95 appearances across all tournaments, scoring 16 goals and registering seven assists.
The midfielder is under contract at the Amex until June 2025, and he insisted earlier this year that he is in "no rush" to leave the club.
"I feel really good with this club and my teammates, and everyone who works here," Mac Allister told BBC Radio Sussex. "I try not to read too much. I always say I am really happy here and I don't have any rush to leave. I am focused on the next game with this club."
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However, Mac Allister's father and agent has revealed that there will be "chances" for the midfielder to leave Brighton this summer.
"For now he is in Brighton. It seems to me a very good thing that he has returned from the World Cup and has not despaired of leaving," Carlos Mac Allister told TyCSports.
"He is enjoying success calmly and in peace in a team that loves him very much. The reception he received has been for the better. He is very happy at the club.
"We all know that in July there will be chances to leave. But prior to the World Cup, Alexis renewed his contract so that the club also has the opportunity to make a big sale, so that many can reach out to Brighton. That's the idea."
Mac Allister's Brighton teammate Moises Caicedo has also been linked with a big-money move this summer despite penning fresh terms on a new contract until 2027 last week.
Oliver Thomas
