For the most part, Liverpool has coped without a controller in its midfield department over the past decade. Throughout Jürgen Klopp’s tenure on Merseyside, he’s selected midfielders who are primarily associated with intensity, industry, energy and defensive security.

Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho are examples of the stereotypical Reds midfielder, with Gini Wijnaldum also fitting the mold despite his attempts to become a makeshift controller towards the end of his time at Anfield. The Dutchman was replaced by a man who dictates matches for fun in Thiago Alcântara, but there has been one major problem attached to his transfer.

Simply put, the two-time Champions League winner hasn’t been on the pitch enough since joining from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020. The Spanish international is an expert when it comes to adding a degree of composure and coolness to Klopp’s turbulent engine room, but he’s prone to picking up frustrating injuries.

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Now aged 32, Thiago looks destined to be out for the rest of the campaign after the recurrence of an issue with his hip. Liverpool has five games remaining before the Premier League season is wrapped up, but will have to navigate those games without a cultured orchestrator in the mold of Thiago.

Once the final bout has been concluded at the end of this month, players will be released for their summer holidays as they attempt to recover before going again in August. Klopp won’t be afforded much time to relax, however, as the German coach will dedicate most of his time towards overseeing a squad overhaul of sorts.

With Milner, Naby Keïta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain likely to leave Liverpool once their contracts expire in the coming months, the Reds will have to replace them. Jude Bellingham was originally deemed to be Klopp’s first-choice target, but it seems the boss has accepted defeat due to the sizeable transfer fee that Borussia Dortmund would demand for its prized asset.

Liverpool is in the market for alternatives right now, and according to The Times, Alexis Mac Allister ranks near the top of the club’s shortlist. The Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder has experienced a promising campaign on the south coast, and he now seems ready to move.

Alexis Mac Allister could be the ideal Thiago heir for Liverpool.

(Image: Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

In fact, the father of the World Cup winner, Carlos, talked up a departure just a few months ago. In an interview with ESPN Argentina, as quoted by 90min, he said: “Clubs are starting to call us for Alexis, but there are no concrete talks now. We’ll decide together with Brighton, they deserve respect. We will pick the best project, based on the coach too. It’s not about money.”

Aged just 24, Mac Allister is technical and refined when on the ball. He is rarely flustered regardless of where he’s deployed, demonstrating an ability to play in deeper or advanced areas, having occupied a variety of different roles under Roberto De Zerbi and Graham Potter before him.

Speaking to ESPN recently, the Argentine international said: “I can play as a six, as an eight or as a 10. As a six, maybe I touch more balls. The last couple of games, I play a more advanced role and I feel really good. There I have the opportunity to score more goals.”

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Mac Allister almost depicts shades of İlkay Gündoğan, who is now at Manchester City but played under Klopp when the pair represented Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Aside from Thiago, it is reasonable to suggest that Gündoğan was the last true controller who offered calm amongst Klopp’s chaos.

With Thiago now sidelined until next season while also being likely to depart in 2024 once his contract expires, Mac Allister could become an unlikely heir to his throne. The South American certainly isn’t a carbon copy, but he does offer similar perks in terms of control, composure and technical mastery.

“He can demand rhythm,” Klopp once said about Thiago, and Mac Allister can do the same.

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