Andros Townsend has hailed the ability of Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister after lining up against the midfielder at Kenilworth Road with Luton Town earlier this month.
Mac Allister, who joined the Reds from Brighton & Hove Albion in June for a fee in the region of PS35m, has unexpectedly been deployed as Liverpool's first-choice defensive midfielder following the summer exit of Fabinho to Al-Ittihad.
Townsend faced Mac Allister with Lutom earlier this month and was full of praise for the Argentine, who he claims has "immense quality".
Speaking to BBC 5 Live's Monday Night Club, the ex-Everton winger said: "When the ball's at the feet of a (Joe) Gomez, (Virgil) Van Dijk or (Ibrahima) Konate, you've got three midfielders who all have the quality to get on the ball, get turned, play forward. You talk about Mac Allister as the No.6 now - he's got quality.
"It's so tough, you can't really allow anyone to have the ball."
Townsend's praise of Mac Allister has been affirmed by recent stats displayed by Sky Sports News, which compare the World Cup's performance in the No.6 role to those of Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
Mac Allister is averaging more tackles per 90 in the Premier League (2.8) than Rice (2.3) and Caicedo (1.9), who moved to Arsenal and Chelsea respectively this summer for transfer fees in the excess of PS100m.
Mac Allister also boasts a superior rate of interceptions than Caicedo, with his rate at 1.5 per 90 eclipsing the Ecuardorian's return of 0.9 per 90.
The Liverpool No.10 enjoyed arguably his finest outing in a red shirt in October as Jurgen Klopp's side defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 at Anfield. Mac Allister had been instrumental in the Reds' first goal, forcing a turnover in the centre of the pitch before threading a pass for Mohamed Salah to run onto.
"It's obviously really not a discussion we have, otherwise we wouldn't play him there," said Liverpool boss Klopp after the game when asked about his deployment of Mac Allister in a deeper role. "But I think today everybody could see the benefit of a player who comes rather from the offensive side of the game than from the other side.
"In a game where you have to create things, where you have to pass, where you have to switch sides. That's how it is then.
"Not all the balls reach the target, but if you try something in tight spaces, that's completely normal. I have no problem at all with losing balls around the box because that's where we should be then for counter-press.
"I'm really pleased for him. And a lot of top defensive moments. Really built the counter, stuff like this. Was really there. He's good at these things, that's why we play him there. In one-vs-one situations, really good."
Mac Allister missed the Reds' victory over Brentford on Sunday after picking up a one-game suspension for a fifth yellow card of the season against Luton but will be eligible to face Manchester City next weekend.