Manchester City could lose out on another top target to Liverpool, but they have shown before they can bounce back in the transfer market
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Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz(Image: 2025 Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
All hell broke loose on Manchester City Twitter on Friday when reports emerged that Liverpool were favourites to sign Florian Wirtz. Blues could make their peace with not signing the man wanted by Txiki Begiristain and Hugo Viana to replace Kevin De Bruyne if he were moving to Bayern Munich instead, but this is something else.
A Bayern move would have kept him literally leagues away from City, safe in the Bundesliga bubble and out of sight and mind. For him to rock up at the other end of the M62 would hurt significantly more.
If Liverpool are able to pull the move off, it would confirm their seriousness in turning one Premier League title into two and also question City's decision to pull back from a deal over price. They have an excellent record of walking away from deals they think are too expensive, yet Liverpool's recruitment record is better than most.
It was in January 2018 when Liverpool completed a £75m deal for Virgil Van Dijk to try to close the gap on City. The Southampton defender had been gifted a City top in his club's Secret Santa the previous winter yet the Blues did not think he was worth making the world's most expensive defender and Liverpool did.
Liverpool were right, and Van Dijk has established a reputation as one of the world's best centre-backs after winning the lot at Anfield. Going into the 2025/26 season, he remains close to the top of his game.
The actual cost of that move for City is difficult to calculate though, for they went out and spent £57m on Aymeric Laporte. And Laporte not only won the lot with City but own a lot more than their rivals.
It was the Spaniard who was the best defender in the league in 2018/19 as his City pipped Van Dijk's Liverpool by a point in one of the most high-quality title races ever seen. He then put his body on the line to see them through in 2021/22 as all fell down around him.
Judging by the cheers of the Etihad crowd as Laporte popped on screen to pay tribute to Kevin De Bruyne on Tuesday, City fans loved having him as part of their club. There may still be regret over Van Dijk, but it was hardly a bad alternative.
The pressure is on to replace De Bruyne, especially if Wirtz is at Liverpool. The German has the opportunity to show on a weekly basis that City messed up in not being able to convince him to join.
Yet that expectation can work both ways, and every player that has held the title of the most expensive player in the league recently has struggled. All eyes will be on Liverpool too next season as they look to defend their crown in a way that they definitely weren't this year.
City cannot afford to get their recruitment wrong, but it is a little premature for regret in the transfer window when so many things can happen.
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