Liverpool hijack Man United transfer plans for third time in year and it’s down to one man
Liverpool completed the Alexis Mac Allister deal but Man United were also interested in signing the Argentine. The Reds snatched the midfielder from Brighton for a bargained price of £35M.
At first, the transfer opportunity for Alexis Mac Allister looked very simple. Resurgent Manchester United are on one side who finished 3rd in PL and secured the UEFA Champions League spot. They also won the EFL Cup and reached the final of the FA Cup.
On the other hand, there was Liverpool who had a bad season as per their standards. They finished in 5th place failing to qualify for UCL. They also had a terrible domestic season where they failed to win anything. Thus, now they will be competing in UEFA Europa League.
But still, football is rarely this straightforward also when Jurgen Klopp is involved in it. The club’s owner FSG has always been a smart spender and has been very selective about which players to sign.
Jorg Schmadtke and the Merseysider’s recruitment team are the ones who deserve the credit for signing Mac Allister for this cheap. Also competing with English giants like Manchester City and Manchester United is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Liverpool hijacking Alexis Mac Allister and other Man United targets
Alexis Mac Allister is not the only player that Liverpool have signed for this cheap. Virgil Van Dijk signed for the Reds despite being on the wishlist of Chelsea and Manchester City back in 2018. The Dutchman after signing for the club for a £75M transfer fee, said:
“Everybody obviously from a Liverpool perspective knows how lively he is, how he can make players better and give them confidence. It just suits me as well.”
Virgil Van Djik talking About Jurgen Klopp
Another player who rejected the Red Devils and came to Anfield was Sadio Mane. He moved to Liverpool back in 2016 rejecting the Manchester side. Mane commented,
“I have to say, I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there. I had it all agreed.
It was all ready, but instead, I thought, ‘No, I want to go to Liverpool’, I was convinced to go with (Jurgen) Klopp’s project.
I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp.He said, ‘we have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be part of it’.”
Sadio Mane talking about his transfer to Liverpool at the farewell interview before leaving the club last summer
Also, last season’s signings Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo would’ve joined United. But the club’s immediacy and smartness to sign them paid off.
These signings prove that Liverpool might not be financially well-rounded like their Premier League rivals but they are more than sufficient for pursuing players they want.
