Liverpool to leave Guardiola fuming as raid for ‘wonderful’ Man City star predicted, with Klopp favourite to be ousted

Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri, Kalvin Phillips and John Stones of Man City

A pundit has talked up the possibility of Liverpool swooping in and signing a Manchester City man this summer, in a move which would leave Pep Guardiola frustrated.

Liverpool and City went toe-to-toe last season for the Premier League title. Jurgen Klopp’s side went on an unbelievable run to take the title race down to the final day, but ultimately it was City who emerged victorious.

While City have kept up those lofty standards and have recently overtaken Arsenal as the favourites to win the Prem crown, Liverpool have been left way behind. At one point, they were languishing in mid-table, though they have since managed to drag themselves up into fifth spot.

There are a few reasons why Liverpool have struggled to keep up with the title challengers this season. One is injuries, with important players such as Luis Diaz, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate all spending time in the treatment room. However, all teams have to deal with injuries, so Liverpool’s problems cannot be solely attributed to that.

One potential factor could be a hangover which was imposed on Liverpool after pushing so hard last season, only to be beaten to the Prem title by City. They were also beaten in the Champions League final by Real Madrid.

Arguably the most important factor is a lack of energy and reliability in the midfield. Klopp has needed at least two new midfielders for several seasons, but Liverpool have yet to spend the necessary money to give him such signings.

READ MORE: Liverpool handed fantastic opportunity to sign deadly attacker as journalist reveals he is ‘disconnected’ from current club

After deciding Jude Bellingham will be too expensive, Liverpool have surprisingly been linked with a move for City’s Kalvin Phillips to bolster their midfield.

Last week, the Daily Mirror revealed Liverpool could sensationally prise Phillips away from City after his disappointing debut campaign at the Etihad. The Englishman joined last summer with the intention of rivalling Rodri for his starting spot but has not been able to replace his team-mate.

Liverpool can solve midfield woes with Man City raid

During an interview with Football Insider, former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie explained how Phillips would be a great replacement for Reds skipper Jordan Henderson. He added that it would be ‘wonderful’ if Klopp could bring in two midfielders, one of them being Phillips, while also getting more use out of Thiago next campaign.

“He [Klopp] will get Phillips for about £40-50m,” McAvennie declared. “I think he is a good option for that kind of money because then you can buy other players.

“I love Henderson, he is a steady player, keeps everyone under control, but he is coming to the end of his career. They need players in there that are going to be buzzing about.

“I am not too sure if the young boys there are ready to do that yet. So I think Phillips, Thiago and another midfielder would be wonderful.”

Bellingham would cost at least £115m to sign from Borussia Dortmund. So if Liverpool could capture Phillips for between £40-50m, then this would leave plenty of money in the transfer kitty for them to get another midfielder as well, such as Mason Mount.

However, it will be very tough for Liverpool to reach an agreement with City over the former Leeds man. City will not want to improve a ‘big six’ Prem rival, especially Liverpool given their recent history as title challengers.

It is more likely Phillips would drop down the table when leaving City and join a team outside of the European qualification spots. West Ham have been linked with a move for him as a potential replacement for Declan Rice.

Meanwhile, a second source has reiterated Liverpool’s interest in a Paris Saint-Germain player.