Liverpool Faces Dilemma Over Alexis Mac Allister Amid Manchester City Interest

Manchester City’s interest in Alexis Mac Allister has handed Liverpool a problem it can’t dodge much longer.

The Premier League champion is reportedly eyeing the Argentine, who has just two years left on his deal at Anfield. On the surface, Liverpool’s stance is simple: any approach from City this summer is expected to be rejected. But underneath that firm line sits a familiar dilemma — one the club has already mishandled with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konaté.

A decline that can’t be ignored

Under Arne Slot in the 2024/25 title-winning campaign, Mac Allister was a pillar. One of Liverpool’s standout performers. Press-resistant, clever on the ball, and central to the way the side controlled games.

Last season told a very different story.

At 27, he suddenly looked heavy-legged. Lethargic in phases. His defensive work frayed, his attacking influence dulled. The energy and sharpness that once defined his game faded, and with it came uncomfortable questions about his long-term role in a midfield that needs to be rebuilt on intensity.

His World Cup displays underlined the contradiction. He produced strong performances on the biggest stage, yet still drew similar criticism in certain matches — bright in moments, but not always convincing without the ball. That inconsistency has left some Liverpool supporters wondering whether this is the moment to cash in, rather than drift towards another high-profile free exit.

And now City are circling.

A rare solution: the player swap

The intrigue doesn’t stop at a straight sale. With City’s midfield in flux, a player-for-player trade has emerged as an idea that could reshape both squads — the kind of deal top clubs almost never do.

Liverpool’s need is obvious. The team has lacked a true, specialist defensive midfielder since Fabinho left. Trey Nyoni is expected to take a significant step this season, but his strengths lie in a box-to-box role, not as a permanent shield in front of the back four.

Ryan Gravenberch has been asked to plug that gap far too often. He can play as a No. 6 or a No. 8, but his game is built on ball retention, not on reading danger or dominating defensive spaces. The balance has looked wrong, and Liverpool knows it.

That’s where Nico Gonzalez enters the conversation.

City signed the Spanish midfielder from Porto in February 2025 for £50 million ($68 million). Even after selling Rodri to Barcelona, they have moved aggressively to refresh that area: Ayyoub Bouaddi is arriving from Lille in a $116 million deal, Elliott Anderson has been added, and Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Nico O’Reilly have all been used in the holding role.

The door is not closed on a Nico sale, despite Rodri’s departure. Newcastle are interested. Inside City, he is still viewed as a talent who hasn’t hit his ceiling, but he already has major performances on his record — including a dominant display against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Nico’s profile, Liverpool’s gap

Nico is comfortable sitting in front of the defense, playing with physicality and control. He breaks play up, keeps possession tidy, and holds his position with discipline. On paper, he looks like exactly the type of No. 6 Andoni Iraola relied on at Bournemouth — but with a higher ceiling than Tyler Adams or Alex Scott.

For Liverpool, that profile is gold.

A deal structured around Mac Allister and Nico could, in theory, suit both sides. Mac Allister would give City another technically gifted midfielder capable of operating between the lines. Liverpool would finally secure the defensive anchor it has been crying out for.

There is a financial angle too. On the open market, Mac Allister is likely worth more than Nico. Any swap could realistically see Liverpool receive the Spaniard plus a fee, potentially in the region of $20 million. That would soften the blow of losing a World Cup winner and a former key man, while addressing a structural weakness in the squad.

Midfield reshaped, timelines tightened

Liverpool will lose Curtis Jones, but the depth in central areas remains strong. Gravenberch, Nyoni, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Harvey Elliott can all operate in midfield. What the group lacks is not numbers or creativity — it’s a pure destroyer, someone to sit, screen and allow the runners to run.

Nico would do that. His arrival would free Nyoni to play higher and grow into his natural role, rather than being forced into a specialist position too early. It would also give Slot a clearer framework: a defined No. 6 behind a rotating cast of No. 8s, rather than a constant compromise.

The risk is obvious. Letting Mac Allister leave now could look brutal if he rediscovers his best form elsewhere, especially at a direct rival. But the greater risk is doing nothing.

Liverpool cannot allow another core player to wind down his contract and walk away for free, as happened with Alexander-Arnold and Konaté. The club has reached the decision point: extend Mac Allister on terms that make sense for the future, or seriously weigh up the offers arriving from Manchester.