Manchester United and Erik ten Hag are looking to beat Liverpool to the signing of a teenage sensation, according to recent reports coming out of Spain.
Man Utd and Liverpool transfer rivalry
It is safe to say that Manchester United and Liverpool have had their fair share of battles in recent seasons, with the Red Devils often finding themselves on the losing side in both the Premier League and the transfer market.
During Ralf Rangnick's time in charge, he pushed for the Old Trafford outfit to sign Luis Diaz from FC Porto, only for Liverpool to land him later in the same transfer window. The Colombian has gone on to become a key part of Jurgen Klopp's side in the time since.
"The answer at the time was no, there was no player on the market that could really help us. [But] there were a few: Diaz who is now at Liverpool, Alvarez who will be at Manchester City in the summer, Vlahovic who at the time still was with Fiorentina", Rangnick explained.
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More recently, they have also lost the race for Cody Gapko, who was for a long time linked with Manchester United only to end up at Liverpool in January of 2023, in a move that arrived largely out of the blue.
"It was difficult this summer. It was a very intense period," said Gakpo. "I tried to find my peace, but it was difficult. I thought I was going to Manchester United, but in the end it didn’t work out."
Now, United may well be hoping to turn the tide on recent transfer battles as they push to land a young gem.
Man Utd United and Liverpool 'pushing' for teenager
Recent reports coming out of Spain have claimed that both Manchester United and Liverpool are 'pushing' to sign 19-year-old Barcelona defender Mikayil Faye just 12 months after he arrived at the Camp Nou.
Wanted previously by Chelsea, Faye opted to move to Barcelona from Croatian side NK Kustosija Zagreb, but has spent this season playing youth football. In a surprise twist, he made his international debut for Senegal before his club debut. The centre-back has already been endorsed by fellow Barca man Jules Kounde too.
“I had the opportunity to get to know him a lot in the preseason and to see him a little recently as well. I think he has a lot of talent. He is very, very explosive, very dynamic, very aggressive, very good with the ball, he has a good left foot,” he said in December.
But the promotion of Pau Cubarsi to the first team and the presence of several other options at the back for any incoming Barcelona coach has left a first-team pathway for Faye unclear, and the Premier League pair are hoping to pounce.
Barcelona's defensive options
Player
Age
Jules Kounde
25
Ronald Araujo
25
Inigo Martinez
32
Pau Cubarsi
17
Andreas Christensen
28
As per Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], both United and Liverpool are "pushing" to sign the youngster, however, it is added that neither side is "on the agenda for him" in an ideal world, with the teenage talent keen to remain at Barcelona this summer after talks with the Catalan giants this week. His £343m release clause ensures that if he leaves, it will be for big money.
But, with the Spanish side's finances once again under scrutiny and the likes of Bernardo Silva on their wishlist for permanent transfers, they may well opt to cash in on a player who could be a rotation option at best next season. Should they do so, Manchester United appear to be ready to pounce.