Manchester City are very familiar with what it’s like to play against Liverpool and compete with the Merseyside club for titles.
Their most recent meeting with the Reds saw City lose 2-0 at Anfield in what was Pep Guardiola’s first managerial clash with new Liverpool boss Arne Slot – who took the reins in the dugout after Jurgen Klopp ended his nine-year tenure at the club.
Not even a full week since this game took place, one of the key figures in Liverpool’s ranks – who didn’t get as much time with Klopp in charge as others at the club did – has shed some light on a comparison the former Liverpool boss made with him and one specific player in City’s squad at the Etihad Stadium.
(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC a...
Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Jurgen Klopp said he wanted Alexis Mac Allister to be just like a key Man City player
Appearing in a recent edition of The Rest Is Football, Alexis Mac Allister shared this when asked about what Klopp said to him before he joined Liverpool back in the 2023 summer transfer window.
He said: “Basically, he said that there was going to be a change in terms of midfielders for the team.
MORE MAN CITY STORIES
“He wanted me to be part of it and he compared me with players like [Ilkay] Gundogan, for example, that he managed in Dortmund.
“He said that we had similar things and that I could be an important player for Liverpool and for his team.”
Gundogan is a good blueprint for any midfielder to be like
As the Argentine mentioned, Klopp knows all about Gundogan from their time together at Dortmund.
Specifically, the midfielder appeared in 117 games under Klopp across all competitions between 2011 and 2015.
Ilkay Gundogan Appearances Goals Assists
Pep Guardiola 323* 62 39
Jurgen Klopp 117 12 13
*Before Crystal Palace (a)
With Gundogan scoring 62 goals and delivering 39 assists during his time at City as well as captaining the team to their historic Treble back in 2023, it’s easy to see why Klopp would want Mac Allister to follow a similar sort of blueprint to the 34-year-old.
Upon his return to the Manchester club from Barcelona back in August, Txiki Begiristain praised Gundogan, sharing this about the player and what he offers the club on and off the pitch.
He said: “Ilkay is one of the finest professionals I have ever worked with. His dedication to football and his approach to every single training session is something special.
“He is also an exceptional midfielder. His reading of the game, his football intelligence, his technical quality and his leadership make him an excellent addition to our squad.
“To be able to bring him back here is fantastic news for everyone. He will help us in our main objective, which is to win trophies, but he will also be an inspiration to so many.”
While Gundogan is extremely well-thought-of at City and is undoubtedly a key figure in their recent history, if Mac Allister can have a similar sort of legacy at Anfield, he could be seen as one of Liverpool’s best signings under Klopp’s reign.
Related Posts