"Absolute snip" - Ex-PL star thinks Liverpool secured bargain transfer for 'special' player amid hugely influential debut season
Michael Dawson has been astounded by Alexis Mac Allister's impact since joining Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer.
Mac Allister cost the Reds a mere £35 million and has been instrumental in helping Jurgen Klopp's side challenge for the title. The Argentine midfielder has registered six goals and seven assists in 36 games across competitions.
One of those goals was a fabulous strike in a 3-1 win against Sheffield United on Thursday (April 4). The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner arrived on the edge of the box and fired into the top corner with aplomb.
Dawson waxed lyrical about Mac Allister and his influence on Liverpool and their title challenge. The former Tottenham Hotspur defender told Sky Sports:
"I mean we're looking at Mac Allister coming in from Brighton and I don't think he settled in straight away, I don't think we saw what we're seeing now with him... He's been the difference at this moment in time, you see him mixing, the way he finds a pass."
Mac Allister has become a fan favorite Anfield with his consistency and positive personality. Dawson feels the 25-cap Argentina international is understanding what it means to be a Liverpool player:
"He's a sensational player he really is and I think he's grabbing it and realising what it means to play for Liverpool. He has been so influential for them certainly since the turn of the year."
Dawson touched on the fee the Merseysiders paid and suggested they'd robbed Brighton:
"He's a special player and when they signed him in around £35m it was an absolute snip!"
Mac Allister was part of Klopp's midfield rebuild last summer that also saw Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo arrive. But, it's fair to say that the 25-year-old has been the Reds' signing of the season.
Jurgen Klopp claimed Alexis Mac Allister's goal was the turning point for Liverpool in win against Sheffield United
Liverpool were being held by Sheffield United when Mac Allister struck at Anfield on Thursday. Darwin Nunez had given the hosts the lead but Conor Bradley's unfortunate own goal leveled matters just before the hour mark.
Mac Allister came to the fore in the 76th minute with a spectacular finish that was perhaps his best goal since joining the club. Cody Gakpo completed a 3-1 win to ensure the Merseysiders displaced Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
Klopp highlighted the problems his side ran into against the Blades on the night before Mac Allister's effort. The German coach said (via Liverpool Echo):
"The game was a difficult one to get rhythm but we should have had a better rhythm than we did after 60 or whatever. We needed then Macca’s wonder goal to turn it around."
The Reds hold a two-point lead over second-placed Arsenal with eight games remaining. The Anfield faithful will hope for more performances from Mac Allister at the business end of the season.