Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk's leaked Man Utd transfer chat left team-mate gobsmacked

Liverpool capitalised on one of Manchester United's biggest-ever transfer blunders.

Under the Glazers, United have splurged vast sums on players who have proved to be flops while missing out on other targets. One of the most glaring errors was failing to sign a player who would become an Anfield legend.

Back in 2017, Virgil van Dijk, then of Southampton, was catching the eye of many clubs, including Man United. However, instead of signing the Dutchman, the Red Devils chose Victor Lindelof from Benfica.

Liverpool, of course, secured Van Dijk's services in January 2018 for £75million, while United later spent £80million on the much-maligned Harry Maguire from Leicester.

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The revelation was made by one of Van Dijk's former Southampton team-mates, Charlie Austin, who told talkSPORT back 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 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'.

Austin expressed his shock, adding, "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 centre-back played a crucial role in Liverpool's Champions League and Premier League victories under Jurgen Klopp.

Meanwhile, Lindelof has not always been a regular starter for United and could be on his way out this summer. New Fenerbahce manager, Jose Mourinho, who originally brought Lindelof to Old Trafford, is reportedly interested in signing the Swedish player, who has one year left on his contract with United.

Austin also lifted the lid on Van Dijk’s tense final few days at Southampton before his Liverpool move. He recalled: “The manager was there, [Mauricio] Pellegrino at the time, and in the summer he was looking to go.

“I remember him getting everybody in pre-season, got us all around, everyone on the pitch including Virg and just came out and said, ‘look lads, Virgil wants to go, the club are not allowing him to go, he’s said he’s not going to play so he’s not going to train with us’. In front of everybody, including Virgil.

“He was more gobsmacked because [there was] no heads up from the manager, nothing. You’re going to go over there and train with the fitness coach and the physio. It was more down the line of stamping his authority, what he had to do, albeit he did move in the summer, two days later the transfer window shut and Virg was starting on the Saturday.

“He apologised to the lads but the lads were just like, ‘Virg, we understand, you were linked with Liverpool, you wanted to go, it’s fine by us’, but we were happy he was still there because of the quality he brought.” Asked if he would’ve gone to Man United, Austin added: “I’m not sure, I think he had his heart set on going to Liverpool.”