Mac Allister, the first piece in Brighton’s success story
After four glorious years, Alexis Mac Allister appeared to bid farewell to Brighton fans after Wednesday’s draw against Manchester City. With Liverpool circling, everything indicates that the Argentine will not continue at the club.
It turned out to be a bittersweet evening for Brighton. After sealing qualification for the next edition of the Europa League, the first continental participation in the club’s history, by holding the league champions Manchester City to a 1-1 draw, Alexis Mac Allister was seen on the final whistle waving goodbye to fans who have supported him for the past four seasons.
The Argentina international’s destination could well be Liverpool, as Brighton comes to terms with the fact that they will losing one of their star players. A visibly melancholic Mac Allister completed a lap of honour at Falmer Stadium to receive one last standing ovation from supporters.
If his departure this summer ends up being confirmed in the coming weeks, Alexis Mac Allister will leave an enviable legacy at Falmer Stadium. With 111 official first team appearances, in which he has contributed 20 goals and nine assists, the son of Carlos ‘Colorado’ Mac Allister, is part of the club’s history and whatever happens, he will be remembered as one of a one-off player who marked out the path for a new generation of South American players such as Julio Enciso (19 years old) and Facundo Buonanotte (18 years old). At the age of 21, Mac Allister would not hesitate to pack his bags and put down roots in the fledgling Brighton project, a bet that has ultimately paid off.
Qatar World Cup, the turning point
Wearing the No.10 shirt, Mac Allister shone and played a key role in Roberto De Zerbi’s success in the Premier League. The Argentinean has clocked up 34 league games this season, scoring 10 goals and providing two assists. The Qatar 2022 World Cup not only elevated Mac Allister’s profile in European football, but after his return the Argentinean returned fully plugged in to face the most important stretch of the season.
With the World Cup under his belt, he went on to make a vital contribution to seal Brighton’s qualification for the Europa League - the club’s best ever top flight finish (the previous club record was 9th in 2020/21 under Graham Potter) and the first time they have qualified for Europe.
Internationally, all eyes turned to the south coast of England, as Brighton grabbed headlines with impressive feats such as narrowly missing out on reaching the FA Cup final, losing a painful semi-final against Manchester United despite being the superior side on the day. They were denied a place in the final, losing an agonizing penalty shootout 6-7.
One of the first pieces of the European project
Mac Allister was completely unknown to European football when Brighton announced his arrival on an eight million euro deal from Argentinos Juniors. After a six-month loan at Boca, where he was unable to settle, Mac Allister returned to the Premier League at the beginning of 2020 to make history on the south coast.
The midfielder would go from strength to strength in his adventure and his quality soon became evident. Dan Ashworth’s project began to flourish, with the Argentinean as the sports director’s greatest success. Since Brighton were promoted in 2017, the team usually finished in the mid-to-lower region of the table, and even flirted with relegation on a couple of occasions.
Last season however, with all the pieces in place, Brighton became a force to be reckoned with. Mac Allister would emerge as a great box-to-box player with the ability to give Brighton an extra man in attack while Moi Caicedo would do all of the dirty work, mopping up in defence. It was their partnership that enabled the Seagulls to start dreaming of Europe. The team finished 9th last season, just five points below the Conference League berth. Mac Allister has been the great rudder of De Zerbi’s team this season when the club’s dream of European competition was finally realised.
Brighton is preparing to undertake the next stage of their project. The million-dollar injection gained from the sale of their second captain along with other pillars such as Mitoma or the aforementioned Caicedo will help the club bring in some of the most promising players in the world. The keen eye of the sports management has led to some sporting success, but this season is only the beginning of something bigger. As Mac Allister prepares for a new chapter in his life, Brighton will be following him, watching their idol perform the delicacies that once marvelled this small coastal town.