Alexis Mac Allister looks set to leave Brighton & Hove Albion this summer and Chelsea are one of the clubs keeping tabs on the midfielder, according to reports.
The 24-year-old has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs after his impressive displays at the World Cup last year, which saw Argentina claim triumph in Qatar.
Mac Allister has become a standout performer at Brighton down on the south coast, playing 26 matches in all competitions this season, scoring eight goals and providing one assists.
After Graham Potter‘s departure to Chelsea, his successor Roberto De Zerbi has taken Brighton from strength to strength and the Seagulls are currently placed eighth in the Premier League and fighting for a European qualification spot.
Mac Allister recently agreed a new contract at Brighton until 2025 back in October, which also has the option of extending by a further year.
However, it hasn’t stopped clubs showing interest and reports in Argentina from Gaston Edul of Tyc Sports states both Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in the World Cup winner.
It’s also claimed that Mac Allister is expected to leave at the end of the season, putting both clubs on alert if they want to seal his signature.
Chelsea have already raided Brighton this season. They have taken Potter, his backroom team, Marc Cucurella and Paul Winstanley to bolster their recruitment team.
How much it would cost to prize Mac Allister remains unclear. Transfermarkt values the midfielder at £42 million.
Brighton CEO Paul Barber admitted in January that they wanted to offer Mac Allister a long-term pathway, however refused to suggest how his future could play out in the coming transfer windows.
“It’s really special to have a World Cup winner,” the Brighton chief told CBS Sports. “It’s something that everybody at the club can feel very proud of.”
He added: “We worked hard before the World Cup to agree a new contract with Alexis. We worked with his father and his agent to come up with a deal that suited everybody. And we are glad that we did that not just because Alexis ended up winning the World Cup, but we wanted him settled to give him the best chance of having a great World Cup.
“We also wanted to give him that sort of comfort going into the rest of the season with us that he had a long-term future plan all mapped out. What happens this (January) window, next window or the window after, none of us can predict.
“But what I can say is that Alexis is delighted to be back and we are delighted to have him back. We are looking forward to seeing more football from him in the second half of the season.”
