Liverpool Faces Dilemma Over Alexis Mac Allister Amid Manchester City Interest
Manchester City’s interest in Alexis Mac Allister has handed Liverpool an awkward but potentially defining decision over the Argentine’s future.
The Premier League champion is reported to be weighing up a move for the midfielder, who has just two years left on his deal at Anfield. Liverpool is expected to bat away any offers from a direct rival this summer, yet the situation is more complicated than a simple yes or no.
From title pillar to dilemma
Under Arne Slot in the 2024/25 campaign, Mac Allister was one of Liverpool’s standout performers as the club powered to the Premier League title. He knitted games together, dictated tempo, and looked every inch the long-term heartbeat of the midfield.
Last season told a different story. At 27, he suddenly looked heavy-legged. His defensive work waned, his pressing lacked bite, and his attacking contribution faded. Too often he appeared caught between roles, offering little protection in front of the back four and not enough incision in the final third.
Even on the international stage, where he produced strong spells at the World Cup, he attracted criticism in certain games. That inconsistency has left some supporters wondering whether Liverpool should cash in while his value remains high.
And now City is circling.
A rare solution: the player swap
The prospect of a direct player-for-player trade between two of England’s heavyweights is unusual, almost old-fashioned. Yet in this case, it could solve problems on both sides.
Liverpool’s need is obvious. The squad has gone too long without a specialist defensive midfielder. Trey Nyoni is expected to step up, but his strengths lie in driving from box to box, not sitting and screening the back line. Ryan Gravenberch has been asked to cover as a No. 6 as well as a No. 8, but his game is built on ball retention, not elite defensive awareness.
City, meanwhile, has Nico Gonzalez on its books — and has not shut the door on selling him.
The Spanish midfielder arrived from Porto in February 2025 for £50 million ($68 million). He was signed as a high-ceiling option in the holding role, a player with the technique of a Barcelona graduate and the steel to anchor a top side. He has already delivered several dominant displays, including a standout performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, yet is still viewed as someone who has not fully reached his potential.
Despite selling Rodri to Barcelona, City has moved aggressively to reshape its midfield. Ayyoub Bouaddi is coming in 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 defensive midfield role. With that depth, City is prepared to listen to offers for Nico, and Newcastle is already interested.
Liverpool, though, might be the cleaner fit.
The No. 6 Liverpool has been missing
Nico looks like the type of midfielder Liverpool has been trying to find since Fabinho’s departure. He is comfortable sitting in front of the defense, strong in duels, composed on the ball and disciplined positionally. His profile mirrors the kind of No. 6 Andoni Iraola relied on at Bournemouth — only with a higher ceiling than Tyler Adams or Alex Scott.
Drop him into Liverpool’s midfield and the structure changes. Nico anchors. Nyoni can roam. Gravenberch is freed to play higher. Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Harvey Elliott can focus on creating rather than firefighting in deeper areas.
Liverpool will lose Curtis Jones this summer, but the central unit would still be stacked with options capable of operating as No. 8s. What it lacks is exactly what Nico offers.
That is why some at Anfield might view a swap as more than a straight like-for-like. On the open market, Mac Allister is likely to be valued higher than Nico. A deal that brings in the Spaniard plus around $20 million would reflect that, while directly addressing a glaring tactical need.
Contract clock ticking
The shadow looming over all of this is Mac Allister’s contract.
Liverpool has already been burned by allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate to run down their deals and leave as free agents. It cannot afford a repeat with a player who still commands serious interest across Europe, let alone from Manchester City.
The club faces a clear fork in the road: move decisively to extend Mac Allister’s contract on terms that make sense, or seriously consider the advances arriving from elsewhere — including a proposal that could finally deliver the defensive midfielder Anfield has been crying out for.
One way or another, Liverpool cannot sit still this time.
