Manchester City is reportedly considering a move for Alexis Mac Allister, with the midfielder having just two years left on his contract, with an intriguing option for Liverpool to consider
Alexis Mac Allister has reported interest from Manchester City
Alexis Mac Allister has reported interest from Manchester City(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool is expected to reject any advances from Manchester City for Alexis Mac Allister this summer.
It's claimed City is interested in the Argentinian midfielder. But with two years left on his contract and the chance that the club will repeat its mistakes with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate, the Reds could consider a different approach.
Mac Allister was one of Liverpool's best-performing players in its Premier League-winning season under Arne Slot in 2024/25, but his level of play fell immensely last season. At just 27 years old, he looked a little too lethargic at times, struggling greatly defensively while offering very little in attack.
The Argentine delivered strong performances at the World Cup but also faced similar criticism in some games, leading some fans to question whether now is the right time for the club to sell him. And with City knocking on the door, a rarely seen player-for-player trade could benefit both clubs.
Almost every Liverpool fan will agree that the team needs a recognizable defensive midfielder. While Trey Nyoni is set to take a step up this season, asking him to play that role does not feel optimal — being at his best when playing box-to-box rather than sitting in front of the defense.
The club has been overly reliant on Ryan Gravenberch in the past two seasons, who is also capable of playing as a No. 8 as well as a No. 6, with ball retention being his main quality over his defensive awareness.
One player who could fill this need for Liverpool is City's Spanish midfielder, Nico Gonzalez, who arrived from Porto in a £50 million ($68 million) transfer in February 2025.
Nico Gonzalez could be the defensive midfielder the club has been missing since Fabinho
Nico Gonzalez could be the defensive midfielder the club has been missing since Fabinho(Image: Getty Images)
Despite the club selling Rodri to Barcelona, City is set to replace him with Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in a $116 million transfer. The club has also signed Elliott Anderson in that position, while also using Rico Lewis, Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Nico O'Reilly in defensive midfield at times.
The club has not closed the door on selling Nico despite Rodri leaving, with Newcastle interested. The former Barcelona star is seen as a player who has not yet reached his potential, while having a number of dominant performances under his belt — notably against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
A player who is capable of sitting in front of the defense, playing physical and under control, Nico appears to fit the bill of the kind of No. 6 Iraola deployed at Bournemouth, while being a step up over Tyler Adams and Alex Scott.
Some could argue that a player-for-player deal would not be worth it for Liverpool. Mac Allister is likely to be worth more than Nico on the open market, with the Reds potentially even securing around $20 million in the deal alongside the Spanish midfielder.
Although Liverpool will lose Curtis Jones, it still has Gravenberch, Nyoni, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz and Harvey Elliott capable of playing in the middle.
Adding Nico would give the Reds the true defensive midfielder they've missed since Fabinho, while opening the door for another potential box-to-box midfielder or simply allowing Nyoni to play more minutes in his natural position and ease him into the first team.
Liverpool cannot let Mac Allister leave as a free agent, as it did with Alexander-Arnold and Konate. The Reds must act soon to extend his contract, or strongly consider advances from elsewhere.