All good things must come to an end, especially in soccer. Just ask Manchester City.
The Etihad club has enjoyed an unprecedented period of success over the years since Pep Guardiola arrived as manager, although there has definitely been a shift this season. Having dominated the Premier League for the past 10 years, suddenly they find themselves fighting just to qualify for next season’s Champions League, and looking on as Liverpool takes its crown.
Not only that, but they’ll be waving goodbye to a club legend this summer. With Kevin De Bruyne announcing his decision to leave City, there’s a clear changing of the guard in Manchester.
You can’t help but look on and see so many parallels with the Reds. For City 2025, read Liverpool 2023. A club struggling to reach its previous heights, an acknowledgement that some fan favorites have to move on, and one legend announcing his departure early – Roberto Firmino in Liverpool’s case.
For the time being, there’s no sign of Guardiola doing a Jurgen Klopp and leaving a year later, although the City boss is in no doubt about what De Bruyne’s exit means to his club.
“A sad day. And a happy day for the fact the pleasure personally we lived this time with him, what he gave to all of us, his humanity,” Guardiola said as he reacted shortly after De Bruyne’s impending departure was announced.
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“It’s not necessary to tell his success with us in the last decade – impossible to imagine without him. A sad day because a part of us is leaving. When Vincent [Kompany] left or Sergio [Aguero] left or David Silva left, their contribution – I can say more names, these three are examples.
“[He is] one of the greatest midfielders ever to have played in this country, and I think with Man City there’s no doubt.”
In normal circumstances, it would be easy to listen to Guardiola and feel a little smug as a Liverpool fan, considering where the two clubs are currently positioned in the table. These are far from normal circumstances for the Reds though.
While City will be waving goodbye to one club legend, there’s every chance Liverpool will be bidding farewell to three. It already feels like its doing that for one of them.
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Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold could all be leaving Anfield this summer – in fact, it seems almost certain now that the latter of those will be. Whether the other two will follow him out of the exit door remains to be seen, although we may not have to wait much longer for an answer.
Van Dijk has teased that there will be an announcement soon on his future, and if that’s the case, Salah will surely follow suit. The idea of the pair leaving, as I’m sure is the case for City fans with De Bruyne, is nearly unbearable.
Guardiola’s words should strike a chord with Liverpool fans. “Impossible to imagine without him” – that’s certainly the case with Van Dijk and Salah, who have shown just how crucial they still are to their team this season.
There is no other option for Liverpool. If Van Dijk is making the same announcement as De Bruyne in a few weeks, then the outcry will be staggering – it would be more than just the end of an era.
