Van Dijk blocked Liverpool from signing Matthijs de Ligt before Manchester United transfer due to rift with countryman: Reports

Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk reportedly played a key role in preventing the club from signing Matthijs de Ligt, with Manchester United eventually signing him this summer. Van Dijk's reservations about his national teammate allegedly stemmed from hostility between them while playing for the Netherlands.

According to Team Talk, Van Dijk had concerns about De Ligt's form while playing for the Netherlands, especially at Euro 2024. The centre-back was benched in favour of Stefan de Vrij in all games in the tournament and didn't feature even as a substitute despite being in the squad. The Oranje were eventually eliminated following a 2-1 loss to England in the semi-finals.

After the departure of Joel Matip, Liverpool were in dire need of a replacement, with Matthijs de Ligt being a potential signing. However, Team Talk suggests that the Reds eventually bowed out of the race to sign him after considering Virgil van Dijk's opinion, who's considered a leader at Anfield.

De Ligt eventually joined the Reds' arch-rivals Manchester United on a five-year deal for a reported €45 million (excluding add-ons) this summer. He made his debut for United in their 1-0 win against Fulham in the Premier League as a substitute and scored his first goal against Southampton in the 3-0 away win on Saturday (September 14).

---

What happened when Matthijs de Ligt's Manchester United faced Virgil van Dijk's Liverpool in the Premier League?

On September 1, Manchester United faced the Reds at home for the first time this season. Both Matthijs de Ligt and Virgil van Dijk were starters for their respective clubs.

Things didn't go well for the Red Devils, as they slumped to a disappointing 3-0 home loss to Liverpool, courtesy of a Luis Diaz brace and a banger from Mohamed Salah. De Ligt didn't impress, as he made only one clearance and one interception and lost possession eight times in 69 minutes.

In comparison, Virgil van Dijk recorded 11 clearances, three interceptions and two tackles. The defender lost possession only four times, compared to De Ligt's eight. However, De Ligt showed notable improvement in Manchester United's fixture against Southampton, scoring his first goal for his new club.

With Van Dijk approaching the end of his current contract at Anfield, it remains to be seen how Liverpool plan to eventually replace the legendary defender. A possible combination of De Ligt and Van Dijk could have been beneficial, but De Ligt has now settled into the Red Devils' system.