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What is the story?
According to former Manchester United and Liverpool midfielder Paul Ince, the Old Trafford outfit have 'copied' Liverpool's transfer policy. The 51-year-old believes that United's capture of Harry Maguire is very much similar to Liverpool's acquisition of Virgil van Dijk.
In case you didn't know...
In January 2018, Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk for a then-record transfer fee of £75million and strengthened the defence line immensely. Similarly, United splashed £80million on Harry Maguire and made him the world's most expensive centre-back.
With the acquisition of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, United not only strengthened their defensive line but also added young English assets to their ranks. Now, they have been accused of mimicking Liverpool's transfer strategy.
The heart of the matter
Speaking to Paddy Power, Ince elaborately explained how Manchester United copied Liverpool's transfer policy during the summer transfer window. He said:
“I look at United and I feel like they’re almost copying a Liverpool model.
“They got Virgil van Dijk in and United got Harry Maguire in, and it seems they’ve gone for three forwards too, pacey players like [Anthony] Martial, [Jesse] Lingard and [Marcus] Rashford.
He continued,
“I don’t see where Lukaku fits into that, so I’m not surprised Ole let him go. But that does put extra pressure on the younger lads to find the net.
“The fact is, Lukaku is a goalscorer, he’s always been a natural goalscorer but the ball has to be placed right in front of him.”
What is next?
Neither Liverpool or Manchester United are likely to make any further acquisitions even though a number of superstar free agents are still available.
Liverpool will face Chelsea later tonight in UEFA Super Cup, while United's next Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers is scheduled for Monday night.
Also See : Durand Cup, Durand Cup Schedule, Calcutta Football League
