Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon in their first domestic meeting since the Premier League announced City had been found guilty by an independent commission of all but one of the 115 charges they face for serious financial breaches. City have submitted an official appeal, but attention has already turned to potential sanctions, which could range from a transfer ban, points deduction, heavy fine or even relegation or expulsion from the Premier League.
Should City be expelled from the top flight, they would face a battle to hold onto their star players, with full internationals likely to be reluctant to continue their careers in the lower leagues. Liverpool's writers have each picked the City player they would most like to see at Anfield.
Paul Gorst picks Ayyoub Bouaddi
Paul Gorst says the obvious answer is Erling Haaland, but with Alexander Isak already at Liverpool for £125m, he looks elsewhere. He notes that Kevin De Bruyne or David Silva would have been straightforward options in the past, but the Reds remain light in central midfield. While Jeremy Doku would be exciting, Liverpool are loaded with wingers.
Gorst highlights Ayyoub Bouaddi, who turned 19 on October 2 and joined City for around £85.5m. The Morocco international impressed at the World Cup and looks at ease at this level, making him an ideal long-term addition to Liverpool's midfield.
Theo Squires names Elliot Anderson
Theo Squires compares a potential City exodus to Juventus's relegation in the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, when players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Patrick Vieira and Fabio Cannavaro all left. He suggests a City fire sale could be even bigger, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich as likely destinations, but Liverpool would be a top choice for players staying in England.
Haaland would be the obvious pick, but Squires argues the Reds don't need him given they have Isak and Hugo Ekitike. He mentions past Liverpool interest in Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, but says neither is a priority. Instead, he picks Elliot Anderson, who joined City in the summer for £116m and could be the ideal sitter for Andoni Iraola's midfield, potentially unlocking Florian Wirtz's quality.
Richard Garnett agrees on Anderson
Richard Garnett recalls being at Maine Road when Liverpool relegated City in 1996, but says today's squad is a different story. He also names Haaland as the top choice but wouldn't push out Isak or Ekitike. Instead, he looks at midfield reinforcements, pointing to Elliot Anderson, who was linked with Liverpool before his £116m move to City. Garnett says Anderson is exactly the type of player this Liverpool team needs, ruling the engine room while flair players do their thing.
