17 December 2023 , 08:00
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be aiming to get the last laugh over Manchester United once again after humiliating the Red Devils on a number of occasions in recent times.
The two fierce rivals have gone head-to-head in the transfer market for signings regularly - and even more so over the last few seasons. Both the Reds and Manchester United are often grouped together in the gossip columns.
Unfortunately for the Old Trafford side, they very rarely come out victorious when it comes to sealing deals, especially when their rivals are involved. The first example over recent seasons is Liverpool's Colombian winger Luis Diaz.
Both Liverpool and Man United - as well as Premier League rivals Tottenham - were interested in a move for Diaz during his stint at previous club Porto. Former Red Devils boss Ralf Rangnick had made a personal plea to the club to sign him, while Tottenham also lodged a bid.
Liverpool eventually sealed a £37.5m deal, with Klopp since explaining that it was Diaz’s performances against his future employers that had sparked initial interest. “He is an outstanding player and someone we’ve been tracking for a very long time,” Klopp explained.
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“This team deserved to add quality and when we played against Luis earlier this season, we saw what a danger he is, how fast he is and how his mentality was to help his team.
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“I could not be happier that we’ve been able to get this deal done and bring Luis to Liverpool, and must make clear my appreciation to our ownership and football operations team for how they have managed to act so decisively to get this done.”
The face-offs did not end there as Man United and Liverpool also competed for the signature of another forward in January - PSV star Cody Gakpo. The Red Devils were strongly linked with a move for the Dutchman with compatriot Erik ten Hag also keen to land his services.
However, Gakpo eventually turned up at Anfield - but somebody clearly forgot to tell the forward, who still believed he was Old Trafford-bound. He said: "I thought I was going to Manchester United, but in the end it didn’t work out.
"Leeds United came in. They are a good club, but I asked myself if I should really go there and when you have a lot of doubts, it is not good.”
On the topic of Dutchmen, one of the Reds’ summer acquisitions was also the topic of interest from United. The latter had long been linked with a move for Ryan Gravenberch during his time at both Ajax and Bayern Munich.
The Red Devils were mentioned earlier this summer when it was clear the midfielder was available. He was seen as an ideal addition to United’s midfield options.
Man United completed a loan deal for Sofyan Amrabat in the summer (Getty Images)They were, however, beaten to the punch by Liverpool once again, who sealed a £34m deal. Gravenberch has yet to really establish himself as a starter on Merseyside but still looks a positive addition for the Reds.
Gravenberch was not the only midfielder that the two clubs were both linked with this summer. Following his performances at the World Cup in Qatar and for Fiorentina, Sofyan Amrabat was a player that was interesting both sides.
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The Moroccan eventually moved to Old Trafford on a season-long loan, with Klopp dropping out of the race for his services. The switch hasn’t quite gone the way Amrabat will have wanted, with 10 starts to his name amid a stuttering start to life in the Premier League.