Newcastle now monitoring Mac Allister

Newcastle United are monitoring Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Ashworth’s connection

The Athletic report that Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his midfield ranks ahead of the new season and it appears that he’s identified the 24-year-old as an ideal candidate.

The Argentinian was previously signed by sporting director Dan Ashworth during his time with Premier League rivals the Seagulls so will hold a strong existing connection to the boss’ target.

St. James’ Park legend Alan Shearer also recently took to social media to hint that he’d love to see the playmaker put pen to paper in the northeast in the near future.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Mac Allister

According to 90min, Mac Allister is being ‘monitored’ by Newcastle, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea, with overseas clubs Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus and RB Leipzig also ‘keen’ to sign him.

Brighton’s talisman is ‘ready to leave’ the Amex in the summer in order to ‘take the next step’ in his career, with his father previously revealing that he is ‘enjoying’ footballing life in England.

Roberto De Zerbi’s outfit currently have ‘no desire to part ways’ with the midfielder, but the sales of the likes of Ben White and Marc Cucurella in years gone by have shown that they are willing to sanction big-name exits should a sizeable offer be put on the table.

The Verdict: Empty the pockets

Mac Allister has been dubbed a ‘joy to watch’ by journalist Josh Bunting, and whilst the price tag Brighton would set for him is unknown, PIF and Newcastle should empty their pockets to get this deal done if the opportunity was to present itself.

The Adidas-sponsored star is an extremely creative individual that loves to contribute to his team’s efforts in the final third having scored nine goals and provided one assist in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.

The Santa Rosa native also ranks in the 97^th percentile for total number of shots per 90 minutes but is equally as strong in the defensive aspect of his game where he’s currently averaging 2.4 tackles every top-flight outing.

The World Cup winner would finally add plenty of versatility to Howe’s squad having operated in seven different positions since the start of his career where he’s comfortable being played anywhere across the midfield, making this a no-brainer of a transfer to complete.