Alexis Mac Allister believes his “next step” should be with another Premier League club amid speculation linking Liverpool and Manchester City with the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder.
Mac Allister has been linked with several big clubs since helping Argentina lift the World Cup for a third time in Qatar last year.
The 24-year-old’s cultured performances have helped Brighton into contention for European qualification, and he has been touted as a possible target for struggling Liverpool, who are likely to be in the market for midfielders at the end of the season.
More recently, Mac Allister was suggested as a potential replacement for City’s Ilkay Gundogan should the Germany international depart when his contract expires in June.
While Mac Allister remains focused on Brighton’s push for a top-six finish, he feels a Premier League giant – rather than a transfer abroad – will be a better fit when he decides to move on.
“I don’t have a particular team where I say ‘this is the way I play’. I think that here in the Premier League, there are very strong teams that play very well, like Manchester City and Arsenal,” he told TyC Sports.
“Chelsea too, I had [Graham] Potter as coach and I know the idea he has of playing football.
“Manchester United are returning to be what they were, and Liverpool are going through some ups and downs but they still have a very important team.
“If I have to say a place, I would like my next step to be in the Premier League. But the truth is that I am very focused here in Brighton and enjoying the present.”
Only recent Arsenal acquisition Leandro Trossard (seven) and Pascal Gross (six) have bettered Mac Allister’s tally of five goals in 19 Premier League outings for Brighton this term.