Liverpool are in 'advanced' talks over a deal for Alexis Mac Allister and there is 'confidence' that the Brighton & Hove Albion star will head to Anfield, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.

With James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving the Reds at the expiry of their respective contracts this summer, boss Jurgen Klopp is looking to freshen up his midfield.

Liverpool transfer news - Alexis Mac Allister

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are edging towards agreeing personal terms with Mac Allister ahead of attempting to negotiate a transfer fee with Brighton.

The Italian journalist suggests the Reds' hopes of luring the creative midfielder to Merseyside have been boosted due to Manchester City deciding against entering the race for his services.

It is understood that Liverpool are looking to agree a £70million fee for Mac Allister, who has also gained interest from Manchester United and Arsenal.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has admitted that he is expecting the Argentina international, who was seen in tears after a defeat to Aston Villa on the final day of the season, to leave the Amex Stadium.

Jacobs recently told GIVEMESPORT that Mac Allister does not want to become embroiled in a transfer saga, meaning he is eager for a switch to be wrapped up quickly.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Mac Allister?

Jacobs has refused to rule out the possibility of Chelsea pursuing Mac Allister, having previously kept tabs on his situation, after Mauricio Pochettino is appointed as the west Londoners' head coach.

But the journalist understands that Liverpool are optimistic of sealing a deal despite still having to negotiate a fee with Brighton.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: "Chelsea looked at Mac Allister in the past, but they had a much lower valuation than Brighton and had turned themselves to other targets, including Mac Allister's Brighton teammate Moises Caicedo. But we wait and see whether the Mauricio Pochettino factor influences anything.

"It's not done yet between Mac Allister and Liverpool or Brighton and Liverpool. But there's a confidence from Liverpool and things are, I think it's fair to term them, advanced. We know that Liverpool like to do their business early."

How did Mac Allister perform during the 2022/23 campaign?

WhoScored data highlights that Mac Allister ended the 2022/23 season as Brighton's top goalscorer in the Premier League, while Solly March was the only teammate to better his 7.05 average match rating.

That emphasises the 24-year-old, whose £50,000-per-week contract still has more than two years to run, while the Seagulls have an option to extend the deal by another 12 months, was key as the south coast side booked their place in next term's Europa League.

Mac Allister found the back of the net 12 times in all competitions, alongside three assists, while it was also a memorable campaign at international level.

Having been overlooked for Argentina's World Cup-opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, he went on to start all of his nation's remaining clashes as they won the biggest prize of all.

Sofascore statistics show Mac Allister averaged 1.3 key passes per outing in Qatar, so he would certainly bring creativity and flair to Liverpool's midfield.