Liverpool and Man City could engage in a massive swap deal.placeholder image
Liverpool and Man City could engage in a massive swap deal. | Getty Images
Liverpool and Manchester City have become rivals on the pitch, but could they join forces off it?
Less of a traditional rivalry and more of a modern showdown, Liverpool and Manchester City have become rivals on the pitch in recent years after several years battling for Premier League titles in the era of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
The last eight Premier League titles have been shared between the two clubs, who have now a total of 30 top-flight crowns belonging to them, 20 of those in the hands of the record-equalling Reds.
It would certainly be a surprise if the two Premier League giants and regular title challengers were to go to the negotiating table and agree a swap deal involving two major stars, but if a huge contract situation is not resolved then anything could yet happen.
Man City interested in Dominik Szoboszlai
In just the piece of news Liverpool fans were hoping not to see right now, reports by AS in Spain have revealed that Man City and Real Madrid are sniffing around Dominik Szoboszlai as his contract situation continues to appear uncertain.
The 25-year-old is under contract until 2028 but is reportedly earning just €135,000-a-week, which is said to be considerably less than elite European counterparts such as Jude Bellingham, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. The Reds are said to be planning to offer the Hungarian a new deal until 2030, with an improved pay packet which matches his increasing importance to the side this season.
But, should a deal fail to be agreed, could we see Szoboszlai lining up in Manchester City colours in 2026? The Reds already brought in Florian Wirtz to compete with the former RB Leipzig midfielder this summer and if he is not content with the revised terms offered, a stunning exit would no doubt shock the football world.
If Szoboszlai were to complete a shocking switch to Manchester, Liverpool could demand one of the Cityzens’ elite players in return to complete a mega swap deal.
Szoboszlai and Josko Gvardiol swap deal would bring the Premier League to a standstill
If Szoboszlai were to complete a stunning move to the Etihad to take on the mantel left behind by Kevin De Bruyne, could we see former Leipzig team-mate Josko Gvardiol go the other way to complete a generational swap deal and secure a ‘dream’ move of his own?
There is no doubt that Gvardiol would solve a lot of Liverpool’s problems now and for years to come. A left-footed centre-back capable of shining at left-back and even scoring goals from outside of the box with his weak foot, the 23-year-old Croatian has proven his versatility during his two years with City so far and was a key part of their last Premier League title win in 2023/24. Now, he has begun to mature into a settled centre-back partnership alongside Ruben Dias.
Truthfully, Gvardiol is exactly the type of player Liverpool need, and they could have signed him before he ended up at the Etihad. Reported by Fabrizio Romano in January 2023, Gvardiol said that Liverpool were his ‘dream club’, who had ‘remained in his heart’ since childhood. But Leipzig rejected the Reds’ advances that January, saying he was not for sale, before City swooped in the following summer to secure a £77 million deal.
"My dream club? That would definitely be Liverpool. Since I was little, I watched a lot of their matches with my dad", Gvardiol told RTLDanas in Croatia. "We covered every season in detail. It is a club that has remained in my heart.”
Whether Gvardiol’s love for Liverpool remains is a mystery, but one thing for sure is that a swap deal involving the Croat and Szoboszlai would set the footballing world alight. Gvardiol is currently worth €75m according to Transfermarkt, while Szoboszlai is worth €85m - but both sides would likely demand north of £100m for their respective key men, which could see a straight swap if a negotiation for the two stars were to come to fruition.
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