Liverpool's next Alexis Mac Allister will cost £100m | OneFootball

Liverpool's next Alexis Mac Allister is there to be bought but he'll cost £100m. Richard Hughes and company have a massive decision to make.

What is the future of Alexis Mac Allister at Liverpool? The Argentine is consistently linked with a move away from the club, with Real Madrid supposedly huge fans of his.

But Mac Allister is still contracted until 2028, while he's a key member of this Liverpool squad. If he does leave, it'll be for an awful lot of money.

Liverpool may fancy that cash, however. Especially as they attempt to continue a massive rebuild that started this year. Part of that is replacing the homegrown players who departed over the summer - and there were a fair few.

Doing so means moving on non-homegrown players to make room for homegrown. It again brings up Mac Allister's name, who could well be sacrificed, especially if Real Madrid are willing to pay.

Now, we're not saying that's going to happen and we hope Mac Allister sticks around for a long time to come. But there is a perfect replacement - and he's available.

Elliot Anderson to Anfield

Liverpool have been linked with interest in Elliot Anderson, who’s making waves at Nottingham Forest. The midfielder has blossomed into one of the biggest prospects in the Premier League.

Anderson, who has only just turned 23, is now a firm regular for Forest as a do-it-all midfielder. He’s similar in that regard to Mac Allister - someone who can win tackles and get forward to influence the attack.

Last season, for instance, Mac Allister averaged more tackles per 90 (3.29) than any other Liverpool player who featured for at least 900 minutes. At the same time, he was 4th in the squad for shot-creating actions, with 4.15.

And that sums up what Mac Allister can do. He’s happy to battle and win back possession, but he also wants to get forward and hurt teams.

It’s also how Anderson likes to play. He’s averaged 2.89 tackles over the last calendar year with 3.84 shot-creating actions. The 23-year-old was also third in the Forest squad for the former last season and third for the latter.

So we’re looking at a player who offers a similar dual-threat for their team as Mac Allister. Only he’s homegrown and a few years younger - all the potential is there for Anderson to be a star.

Now, of course, we’re only looking at two statistics here but they’re stats that offer an impression of a player. There’s more to Anderson and Mac Allister as players, obviously, but in how they like to operate in midfield, there are similarities.

So the Telegraph reporting that Forest have set an asking price for Anderson is brilliant news. Less good is the price itself: £100m. It’s an awful lot of money but it would secure Liverpool a very promising midfielder who they know can fit into their team.