The Anfield crowd was ready to explode as the game started. It felt right that Alexis Mac Allister kicked off the celebration.

Back in April, Liverpool needed a win against Tottenham to clinch their 20th title. They fell behind early after a goal from their old player, Dominic Solanke, but Luis Diaz quickly tied it up.

The crowd was still buzzing from Diaz's goal when Ryan Gravenberch got the ball near Tottenham's box and passed it back to Mac Allister, who took a shot from about 20 yards.

The goalie didn't even see it! Mac Allister's shot flew into the top corner, setting off a party that lasted way past the 5-1 victory.

Everyone knew Mac Allister was a steal after his first season, costing only £35 million from Brighton in the summer of 2023.

But by helping Arne Slot's team win the title, Mac Allister, who also won the World Cup in 2022, proved he's one of the best midfielders around.

That crazy afternoon at Anfield now feels like a turning point for the player, who just turned 27 on Christmas Eve.

Mac Allister didn't start in the last four games of last season because of an injury. He had to miss Argentina's summer games, and everyone thought some rest would fix him up for the new season.

But it didn't work out that way. His training was messed up, and he was one of several Liverpool players who were trying to catch up in the first few months.

It's been rough, but surprisingly, he only missed one of Liverpool's 26 games this season due to injury—the 3-2 win against Newcastle in August. He also sat out the League Cup game against Southampton to rest.

He's had some good moments, like the winning header against Real Madrid in the Champions League in November. But he only has two assists. Mac Allister isn't contributing as much as he should and often looks a bit slow.

To be fair, he's been playing better lately. He played the full 90 minutes in six of the last eight games without any problems.

He's also getting used to a new spot. Last season, Mac Allister and Gravenberch were key in defensive midfield, but they only started together six times before November. Liverpool is trying to fit Florian Wirtz, who cost them £116m, into the lineup while also finding a place for Dominik Szoboszlai, who's been amazing this season.

His better play in the last few weeks has happened while he's been playing as a number 10, ahead of Gravenberch and Curtis Jones, but his individual performance hasn't always been consistent.

Still, he's an important player for Liverpool's coach, Slot, mainly because he can play different positions. Mac Allister became a dad for the first time in September and is halfway through his five-year deal. Liverpool will want to start talking about a new contract soon, especially since Real Madrid is supposedly interested in him.

For now, the main goal is to bring out the best in Mac Allister again. With lots to do in the Premier League and Champions League this season, Slot needs his star midfielder back in top form ASAP.

Liverpool is eyeing Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola after missing out on Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo looks set to join Manchester City when the transfer window opens in January. Apparently, Pep Guardiola's team was his first choice.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano mentioned that Liverpool might bring in one or two players in January, even after their big spending spree over the summer.

Liverpool spent over £400m on fresh faces this summer, but they still need more players after a bad first half of the season.

The Reds will probably try to shore up their defence in January if they can. They might also add another attacker after Alexander Isak got hurt in their 2-1 win against Tottenham.

There's also some uncertainty about Mohamed Salah's future, which has made Liverpool want attacking players even more, although he's likely staying at Anfield until summer.

Caught Offside claims that PSG's Barcola is now a top pick for either the January window or next summer, since Liverpool couldn't get Semenyo.

They say Liverpool's scouts have been watching the French player closely, seeing him as a long-term solution who could improve their attack under Arne Slot.

Apparently, Slot is a big fan of Barcola. The 23-year-old has become a really exciting winger in Ligue 1.

Barcola's still under contract with PSG until 2028, and they want to give him a new deal. But talks about a better contract have reportedly stalled recently.

The hold-up is apparently because Barcola and his people are being cautious. Barcola, who's scored five goals in 13 Ligue 1 games this season, wants to check out all his options.

Even though they didn't get Semenyo, Liverpool still wants a top-notch winger and is ready to invest in the right player instead of rushing into a quick fix.

Liverpool thinks a January transfer for Barcola would be tough, but they believe getting the ball rolling now could give them an edge for the summer.

Back in the summer, PSG boss Luis Enrique said he expected Barcola to be at the Parc des Princes for many more years.

He said in July, "I expect him to play here for many more years, and I think he wants to." So I have no doubt he’ll remain our player.