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Times: Man United botched move for Virgil van Dijk

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Image for Times: Man United botched move for Virgil van Dijk

OPINION

Man United tried to sign Virgil van Dijk before he moved to Liverpool, but got it all wrong – and the mistake could come back to haunt them if Liverpool win the title this season.

Writing in the Times, chief sports writer Matt Dickinson, claims that the “botched” move proves how dysfunctional things are at Old Trafford.

“It sums up the dysfunction at Manchester United to recall their attempt to sign Virgil van Dijk, which involved a frantic, desperate telephone call to see if he was still available,” Dickinson wrote. “Doh! The defender had already completed his medical on Merseyside.

“Such a botched move (as late and hopeless as their bid to sign Gareth Bale when he left Tottenham Hotspur for Real Madrid) encapsulates the lack of understanding between manager(s) and board, an absence of vision or even basic planning when it comes to recruitment, which is only one of many big problems to rectify at Old Trafford.”

Man United’s defence has been wretched this season and they haven’t kept a clean sheet in the last eight league games.

By contrast, van Dijk has been a huge part of turning Liverpool’s fortunes around. They have the best defensive record in the league this season and van Dijk is set to be crowned as the PFA Player of the Year.

If Liverpool do go on to win the title then it will be van Dijk and Alisson who get as many of the plaudits as the devastating front three.

Meanwhile, at United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a huge test this summer, with his squad misfiring and at least two new centre-backs needed.

Money is never an issue at Old Trafford, but getting things right in the transfer market seems to be an issue, and one they might have to sort this summer with Liverpool as Premier League champions.

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