Manchester City and Liverpool have formed a fierce rivalry in recent seasons, with the pair in a league of their own in terms of Premier League quality. Therefore it’s rare that the two are willing to help one another out, but Liverpool played a big part in Kalvin Phillips’ move to City.
City have signed Phillips on a six-year deal after the Premier League champions paid £45million to Leeds United for the midfielder.
But according to The Athletic, Phillips wasn’t their initial target as City were chasing former Monaco star Aurélien Tchouameni before Liverpool’s interest in the star peaked. City were interested in the Frenchman, but after Liverpool and Real Madrid discovered how much Monaco were charging for the midfielder, City quickly bowed out.
While Liverpool and Madrid continued to battle for the star, City began negotiations with Leeds over the transfer of Phillips, and they were seemingly alone in serious discussions. Liverpool missed out on Tchouameni and may wait until next summer to sign a new midfielder, but they may have strengthened City’s hand in the process.