Revealed: Pep Guardiola 'BLOCKED huge swap deal involving Man City and Liverpool stars in summer of 2024'
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola blocked a proposed swap deal between Manchester City and Liverpool during the summer transfer window, which involved Julián Álvarez moving to Liverpool. The deal was considered remarkable due to Álvarez's significance to City, and the club quickly rejected the offer as they were unwilling to let a key player join a Premier League rival. Instead, Álvarez went on to sign a new contract with Manchester City, ensuring he remains part of their squad dynamics.
Additionally, a notable development at Manchester City saw the club preparing to include Kalvin Phillips in their Premier League squad for the upcoming season, despite him not having played for nearly two years following an Achilles injury. Phillips, who was signed from Leeds United for £42 million in 2022, had limited game time, with only two Premier League starts before loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich Town. His number 4 shirt was given to new signing Tijjani Reijnders, but Phillips has returned to first-team training and is eligible to play in domestic competitions due to differing Premier League squad registration rules.
Guardiola favored a smaller squad this summer, offloading players such as Jack Grealish, James McAtee, Ederson, Manuel Akanji, and Ilkay Gündo?an. Despite this tendency towards streamlining, Phillips was retained, possibly due to his homegrown status and potential to contribute domestically.
PP
