Liverpool rejected chance to sign £42m Man Utd star last summer

Liverpool reportedly had the opportunity to beat Manchester United to the signing of a £42million player last summer – but turned him down.

The Reds are busy celebrating winning the Premier League title following a 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.

While only their second Premier League triumph, it is Liverpool’s 20th English top-flight title, making them the country’s joint-most successful club alongside arch-rivals United.

This title win is even more impressive given it is only Arne Slot’s first season at the club and the head coach only brought in one player – Federico Chiesa – in the transfer windows.

It could have been slightly different however, as the Dutchman was initially hopeful of signing a new defensive midfielder last summer.

Fresh off winning Euro 2024 with Spain, Martin Zubimendi looked set to move to Anfield in a £51million move, only for the 26-year-old to change his mind at the last minute and stay at Real Sociedad.

In the end, Slot didn’t get his new No.6 but instead opted to retrain Ryan Gravenberch in that role to great success, with the Dutch international now an integral part of the Liverpool XI.

But The Athletic have reported that after missing out on Zubimendi, the Reds were offered the chance to buy Manuel Ugarte from PSG.

It is said that Liverpool and Slot had ‘no interest’ in the Uruguay star however and resisted temptation to panic buy a player who did not have the desired profile to play as a technical defensive midfielder.

Instead, United would sign Ugarte for £42m but despite reuniting with former Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, the 24-year-old has struggled to impress at Old Trafford.

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness recently blasted the Red Devils for signing Ugarte while selling Scott McTominay to Napoli: ‘They’d gone out and spent £58m on an ageing, 30-year-old Casemiro, and paid him £370,000 a week.

‘And another £42m on Manuel Ugarte. Collective transfer fees of £100m.

‘Would someone at United please hold their hand up and say, “This was my shout.” Because it’s been an atrocious piece of judgment.’

As for the Reds, despite Gravenberch’s heroics, they are still in the market for a midfielder, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton on their radar.

There is still interest in Zubimendi, but it now appears that Arsenal have won the race for the Spaniard.

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