Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly placed a €75m (£65.8m) asking price on midfielder Alexis Mac Allister amid interest from a number of clubs including Manchester City.
The 24-year-old has established himself as a star player for club and country since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, impressing on a regular basis for both Brighton and Argentina.
Mac Allister was one of the breakout stars at the 2022 World Cup with champions Argentina, forcing his way into Lionel Scaloni's side to start six of their seven matches en route to the final in Qatar.
The midfielder provided an assist for Angel di Maria in the final, with Argentina eventually beating France on penalties to win their first world title since 1986.
Mac Allister has also starred for Brighton so far this season, scoring seven goals in 21 appearances across all competitions, with his performances helping the Seagulls challenge for a European qualification spot in the Premier League.
© Reuters
Mac Allister's rapid rise is understood to have alerted several top European clubs including Premier League champions Man City, who are said to have identified the midfielder as a potential replacement for Ilkay Gundogan.
The Citizens are allegedly open to letting the 32-year-old run down his contract and leave the club for free when his deal expires at the end of the season.
The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan have also been credited with an interest in Mac Allister, who is under contract at the Amex Stadium until June 2025.
According to Fichajes, Brighton are aware that a number of clubs are interested in Mac Allister's services, but they will only entertain offers of at least €75m (£65.8m).
In recent years, Brighton have been renowned for making significant profits from the sale of a number of highly-rated players they have developed in the first team, including the club-record £62m sale of Marc Cucurella to Chelsea last summer.
Moises Caicedo was subject to interest from Arsenal in January, with the Seagulls allegedly rejecting an offer in the region of £75m and insisting that the midfielder was not for sale midway through the season.
© Reuters
Mac Allister revealed last month that he is in "no rush" to leave Brighton, but the midfielder's father and agent has since stated that he will have "chances" to seek pastures new in the summer.
Speaking to Argentine news outlet TyCSports, Mac Allister's father Carlos said: "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.
"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 and Brighton will be looking to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals when they face Stoke City in a fifth-round tie on Tuesday night.
