Elliot Anderson among 4 Manchester City stars Liverpool could raid amid sanctions threat

If I were to tell you that one of the world’s best football teams may soon have to sell all their players on the cheap, you’d probably think I was talking about FC 27 Career Mode or some other digital fantasy.

So unprecedented is the current legal battle between Manchester City and the Premier League that it’s hard to fully comprehend where the eventual outcome may take us.

With relegation, multi-season points deductions, expulsion from the football league and a variety of other damning consequences still on the table, a mass exodus at the Manchester club is far from a wild scenario.

In that case, you’d expect many of the Premier League’s heavyweights to be circling the Citizens like a hungry pack of wolves or, more accurately, like customers at a car boot sale who’ve spotted a table of heavily underpriced goods.

One club’s loss could be another’s gain, and with Liverpool’s handy geographical location relative to the guilty party, Iraola's Reds could be the main beneficiaries.

While Erling Haaland would likely head to Spain or elsewhere in Europe, there are a few other players who could help bolster Liverpool’s squad.

Elliot Anderson

Manchester City’s new £116m man Elliot Anderson is the type of midfielder Liverpool have been crying out for, and I’m still surprised the Reds didn’t enter the race in the summer.

While Mac Allister has plugged the gap in Liverpool’s number-six position, having a volume passer with Anderson’s tenacity would only improve the Argentine and Liverpool’s overall game.

The Englishman has carried on where he left off at the World Cup during his start to life in Manchester, and his technical and physical qualities should help him dominate Premier League midfields for the next decade.

Matheus Nunes

Another player who would be a smart acquisition is right-back Matheus Nunes.

While the Reds have found recent stability in that position through the performances of Ronald Araújo, it has been a problematic area of the pitch since Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure.

Since moving to the position over a season ago, the former Wolves midfielder has showcased not only his offensive capabilities but also his defensive tenacity - a realistic and versatile option who would improve Liverpool’s squad.

Antoine Semenyo

Trying to resist getting too greedy, I was torn on the final pick. Joško Gvardiol is a player I could easily see in a Liverpool shirt, but Antoine Semenyo would provide depth in a position that still looks thin for the Reds.

Since his arrival at Man City he has shown why so many Liverpool fans wanted us to sign him last January. While I personally wasn’t too keen at the time, the departure of Mohamed Salah has left a void for a natural right-winger that is yet to be filled.

The former Bournemouth winger would bring a versatile profile that would be the icing on the cake for Liverpool’s attacking options.

While these acquisitions may currently seem far-fetched, if Enzo Maresca’s side faces the full force of the Premier League’s sanctions, it will open a whole new window of opportunities for other clubs.