Virgil van Dijk lifted lid on Man Utd transfer discussions in private chat with teammate

Manchester United have splashed enormous amounts throughout the Glazers' reign with often little reward. And the most glaring mistake of recent years is the decision not to sign Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

Back in 2017, Van Dijk, then at Southampton, was on many clubs' radar. With United seeking a center-back, the Dutchman had potentially provided the solution they were after.

However, Victor Lindelof from Benfica was their selection, ultimately paving the way for Liverpool's $96m (£75m/€87m) signing of Van Dijk in January the following year. Back in 2021, and Van Dijk's ex-Saints teammate, Charlie Austin, made an astonishing revelation on talkSPORT.

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Austin recalled: "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 United must've been in for you? Massive club in England, etc.'

"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."

The rest, as they say, is history. The towering center-back has played a crucial role in Liverpool's Champions League and Premier League victories under Jurgen Klopp .

On the other hand, Lindelof hasn't always been a consistent starter for United and might be looking for a new club this summer. New Fenerbahce manager, Jose Mourinho, who originally signed Lindelof for United, is reportedly interested in bringing the Swedish player, who has one year remaining on his United contract.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Daily Mirror by clicking here.