Liverpool are reportedly on the verge of sealing their first signing of the summer transfer window, as Alexis Mac Allister prepares to make the move to Anfield from Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Argentine World Cup winner is expected to complete his medical and put pen to paper on a five-year deal within the next 48 hours, and Liverpool could supposedly pay circa £45m to prise him away from the Amex.
Mac Allister will reinforce a midfield that has been thinned by the exits of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner, which will also free up a selection of jerseys that the 24-year-old could don.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at which shirt numbers could be available to Mac Allister at Anfield.
© Reuters
Since becoming a Seagull, Mac Allister has sported the number 10 jersey for Brighton in the past four seasons, having also worn the same shirt during his final two years with boyhood club Argentinos Juniors.
Sadio Mane was the last player to don the iconic '10' for Liverpool, and while there has been speculation of a possible return to Anfield for the Bayern Munich attacker, his former jersey is waiting for its next taker.
Mac Allister could very well go straight from being Brighton's number 10 to sporting the same number at Anfield, which would also see him follow in the footsteps of Philippe Coutinho, Michael Owen and John Barnes to name but a few.
Alternatively, Mac Allister is currently in possession of the 20 jersey for Argentina, and while that shirt has belonged to Diogo Jota at Liverpool since the start of the 2020 season, it is not impossible to envisage a shake-up in numbers over the coming weeks.
© Reuters
Indeed, Roberto Firmino's imminent exit will leave the '9' vacant, and Jota would surely be a strong candidate to inherit his fellow striker's shirt, leaving the 20 up for grabs for any summer arrivals.
With Milner and Keita also on their way out, the '7' and '8' jerseys will also be available from July onwards, while Oxlade-Chamberlain will soon hang the number 15 shirt up in the dressing room for the final time.
Juventus loanee Arthur briefly wore the 29 shirt during his sole 13-minute Liverpool cameo, and while Mac Allister should not be given such a high number, competition for the single digits could soon be rife.
Having become mainstays of the Liverpool team this season, all of Harvey Elliott (17), Curtis Jones (19) and Stefan Bajcetic (43) will be competing for the more esteemed numbers, but Mac Allister will seemingly be spoiled for choice either way.
Ben Knapton
