Liverpool Faces Dilemma Over Alexis Mac Allister Amid Manchester City Interest

Manchester City’s move for Alexis Mac Allister would test Liverpool’s nerve and its planning in one hit.

Reports suggest City is circling the Argentine, aware he has just two years left on his Anfield deal. Liverpool’s stance, for now, is clear: hands off. But the situation is not that simple, and the club knows it.

A Star Who Stalled

Under Arne Slot in the 2024/25 title-winning campaign, Mac Allister looked like a cornerstone of the new Liverpool. Intelligent, press-resistant, sharp between the lines – he was among the side’s standout performers as the Premier League trophy returned to Anfield.

Then came last season.

At 27, an age where many midfielders hit their peak, his form sagged. He looked heavy-legged in key spells, struggled badly without the ball and rarely imposed himself in the final third. The contrast with his previous campaign was stark.

His World Cup displays reminded everyone of his quality, but even there, familiar criticisms surfaced in certain matches. Some supporters have started to ask the uncomfortable question: is this the moment to cash in?

City’s interest forces that question to the front of the queue.

A Rare Solution: The Player Swap

Liverpool’s squad issues are no secret. The team has cried out for a specialist defensive midfielder since Fabinho left. The club has asked others to patch the hole.

Trey Nyoni is highly rated and expected to step up, but his game is built on driving from box to box, not anchoring in front of the back four. Ryan Gravenberch has been leaned on heavily as a No. 6 and a No. 8, but his strengths lie in ball retention, not in screening and snapping into tackles.

That’s where an unusual idea starts to make sense: a player-for-player deal.

City’s Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez, signed from Porto in February 2025 for £50 million ($68 million), is one name firmly on the radar. He arrived as a long-term midfield piece, yet the champions are already reshaping the position again.

Rodri has gone to Barcelona. Ayyoub Bouaddi is coming in from Lille in a $116 million deal. Elliott Anderson has been added, and Pep Guardiola has also used Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Nico O’Reilly in the holding role.

City has not completely ruled out selling Nico despite Rodri’s departure, with Newcastle also monitoring him. Inside the game, he is still seen as a talent who has not fully exploded, but he already owns a handful of dominant displays – including a standout performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Nico’s Profile and Liverpool’s Gap

Nico brings what Liverpool lacks: a true No. 6.

He sits in front of the defense, plays with a controlled aggression and handles the physical side of the role. His style fits the kind of holding midfielder Andoni Iraola relied upon at Bournemouth, and he would represent a clear upgrade on options like Tyler Adams and Alex Scott in that specific role.

Drop that profile into Liverpool’s midfield and the picture changes. With Curtis Jones leaving, the Reds still have Gravenberch, Nyoni, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Harvey Elliott who can operate as No. 8s or advanced midfielders. What they do not have is a specialist shield.

Nico would give them that. He would also free Nyoni to play where he is most dangerous and allow Liverpool to manage his minutes rather than throw him into the deepest role and hope he swims.

The Value Question

There is a financial argument to all of this too.

On the open market, Mac Allister almost certainly carries a higher valuation than Nico. If Liverpool chose to entertain City’s interest, it could realistically push for the Spaniard plus an additional fee, potentially around $20 million.

That kind of deal would sting emotionally. Selling a World Cup winner to a direct rival always does. But it would also address a glaring tactical need and bring in extra funds for another midfielder, if required.

The alternative is to hold firm and renew. Liverpool has already been burned by allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate to run down their deals and walk away for nothing. It cannot afford a repeat with Mac Allister.

A Decision Liverpool Cannot Park

This is not a situation that can drift.

Either Liverpool moves to secure Mac Allister on a new contract and rebuilds him as a central figure under Slot, or it listens seriously to the offers that are coming – including from the one club it least wants to strengthen.

Keep him and commit. Or trade him and reset the midfield balance with a specialist No. 6.

Letting a player of his value leave for free again? That is the one option Liverpool simply cannot justify.