"He's too young for me" - Jurgen Klopp confirms he was not sure about Liverpool new signing's abilities

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp recently admitted he wasn't sure about Alexis Mac Allister's best position in midfield due to his age.

Mac Allister became the Reds' first signing this summer from Brighton & Hove Albion after they triggered his reported release clause of £35 million.

He had a stellar 2022-23 campaign, helping Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also scored 12 goals and provided three assists in 40 appearances for the Seagulls.

The Argentina international has impressed for Liverpool already this season, forging a good partnership with Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield. He has made nine appearances across all competitions, mostly starting as the side's No. 6, rather than his preferred No. 8 position.

When asked about finding Mac Allister's best position during a recent pre-match press conference, Klopp said (via HITC):

“No, we didn’t even look for his best position yet, we just use him. He’s a fantastic player. I love everything about him, super-smart, tactically and off the pitch as well. So that’s really, really nice to work with him. If we as a team defend well, he can play definitely the six, definitely."

"Did I know that before? I had a guess, but I was not sure because I didn’t know exactly how all the other boys will do defending and because we defend more compact and better than we did in our bad phases last year," he continued.

“We have small spaces and then it’s really, really good because he sees the situations really well, and from there we have an extra footballer on the pitch and it’s really cool. But best position, he’s too young for me to know it already, he’s a midfielder, I can tell you that, he’s a midfielder – and I’m happy about having him," Klopp added further.

Alexis Mac Allister has provided one assist so far this season and will be aiming to contribute more in the coming weeks.

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How have Liverpool fared so far this season?

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have made a strong start to their 2023-24 campaign. They are currently fourth in the Premier League with 16 points after seven games, losing just once. They are two points behind league leaders Manchester City.

Moreover, they remain unbeaten in the UEFA Europa League, having dispatched LASK (3-1) and Union Saint-Gilloise (2-0) in recent weeks. The Reds are at the summit of Group E with six points. They have also progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup where they face Bournemouth on October 31.

Liverpool will be back in action in the league against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex on Sunday, October 8.