‘We hope to keep Mac Allister as long as we can’

Brighton hope “it won’t be a problem for a couple of years” when it comes to keeping hold of Alexis Mac Allister, says chief executive Paul Barber.

Mac Allister has a deal at Brighton until June 2025, with the club having the option to extend it by a year.

“He will be sought after, we’re very aware of that, but we hope to keep him here as long as we can,” said Barber.

Speaking to BBC Sport about the attention on Mac Allister, Barber added that it was “a nice problem to have”.

He added: “Of course, when staff and players do well, as we’ve seen in the last few months, they do attract the interest of other big clubs.

“These are clubs that are wealthier and have the chance to give players a new level, we understand that and we’re not naive to that.

“All we can do is protect ourselves the best we can through the contracts and hope we can hold on to the player for as long as possible, but this is a young man who has just won the World Cup at 23 and set up arguably one of the most iconic goals in World Cup history.”

Mac Allister made six appearances for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup and scored the opener in a 2-0 group-stage win against Poland.

He passed to Angel di Maria for his side’s second goal as Argentina beat France on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the final.

Mac Allister was rated as man of the match by BBC Sport readers for his performance in the victory.

“On the BBC website he was voted player of the match, which is incredible for a 23-year-old in his first World Cup, having only recently broken into Argentina’s team,” said Barber.

“To perform at that level and get an assist as well, a superb assist, was an incredible moment for him and his family and for our club as well.

“I didn’t speak to him [after the game] but I sent a message and didn’t expect for one minute to get a reply because I’m sure he was inundated.

“But, typical of Alexis the player and the man, he replied overnight and thanked me and everyone at the club for the good wishes and all the support he received from the club in the tournament.

“That’s Alexis, he’s humble, he’s down to earth and comes from a great family. I couldn’t be more delighted for them; they’re really nice people and deserve the success.”

‘His father played for Argentina with Maradona’

Mac Allister joined Brighton in January 2019 from Argentinos Juniors, where he initially returned on loan.

He also had a loan stint Boca Juniors and, after making his Argentina debut in September 2019, made his first appearance for the Seagulls in March 2020 against Wolves.

“He comes from a footballing family, his father played for Argentina with [Diego] Maradona actually,” Barber said.

“We felt that he could adjust well to playing in the Premier League. We knew it might take a bit of time because he was young and the league is very physically demanding.

“There’s not a lot of room for error either in the intensity of the game but we felt he had all of those qualities and over his time here he’s become more and more of a regular in our first team.

“He can score goals, he can assist, he can tackle and he has a very competitive edge about him, without being nasty in any way.

“Then off the field he’s a very nice, humble man. We’re very pleased for him but also that nice bit of reflective glory is good for our club.

“Twenty-five years ago, the thought of having a World Cup winner in our team was a pipe dream and now it’s reality, which is incredible. It’s wonderful for all of our fans and staff that have been part of that.”

Brighton return to action with a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Charlton Athletic on Wednesday before leagues games against Southampton (26 December) and Arsenal (31 December).

Barber said Brighton “would be a very poor club” to deny Mac Allister the chance to return to Argentina to celebrate their World Cup triumph.

But he added: “On the other hand, we have got games coming up thick and fast and one of the downsides of the Qatar World Cup is that we haven’t yet even completed half a season.

“We’ve actually got a lot of work to do now and Alexis will be a big part of that. We’re all looking forward to it very much.”