Virgil van Dijk explained Man Utd's huge transfer mistake in private dugout chat

22 July 2023 , 18:22

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Virgil van Dijk explained Man Utd's huge transfer mistake in private dugout chat

Virgil van Dijk could have been plying his trade in Manchester rather than on Merseyside these days, had United not moved elsewhere in the summer of 2017.

History now shows that the Dutch defender opted to join Liverpool the following January, going on to win the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and reaching three Champions League finals - winning one.

However, things could have been so different had United's decision makers pushed to land Van Dijk - instead of signing Victor Lindelof from Benfica instead.

Charlie Austin, Van Dijk's team-mate at Southampton at the time, claimed in an interview years later that the defender had told him United had a direct choice between the pair but opted for the Sweden international.

Austin told talkSPORT in 2021: "I remember the back end of his Southampton career we were on the bench together at Chelsea away. I sat there I said, ‘come on Virgil, what’s going on, surely Man Utd must’ve been in for you? Massive club in England, etc’.

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"He said, ‘you know what Chaz, in the summer it was like between me or Lindelof and they signed Lindelof’. I was like, ‘you are joking!’ Nobody knows that, he told me that on the bench. I couldn’t believe it, I was just as gobsmacked as you.

"Obviously there was talk in the summer he was going to go there then they’ve gone and taken Lindelof instead."

Virgil van Dijk nearly joined Man Utd before joining Liverpool (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

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Van Dijk immediately had a transformative effect on Liverpool's defence, while just eight months after the Dutchman had pitched up at Anfield, United bosses splashed £80million on England defender Harry Maguire - this month stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag and seemingly on his way out of Old Trafford, if they can find a buyer.

Indeed, while Maguire may be on his way out, there is a strong argument to be made that the Red Devils back line is now their strongest asset.

Armed with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane at the heart of their defence, with Lindelof acting as back up to that duo, while Tyrell Malacia is the adequate deputy for Luke Shaw at left-back that United have long required. Diogo Dalot and Aaron-wan-Bissaka are both steady options at right-back and can be chopped and changed throughout the season without too much of a drop-off in quality. No one kept more clean sheets in the Premier League than United last term.

Meanwhile, over at Anfield, Liverpool's defence is perhaps in need of a bit of a makeover. Van Dijk is now 32, Joel Matip 31 and Joe Gomez has struggled desperately for form in recent seasons, with injuries having curtailed his development.

Sure there's Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold in their first choice lineup alongside Van Dijk, but there's every chance it is Jurgen Klopp, rather than Erik ten Hag, who looks to bolster his back line before the window's close.

Josh O'Brien