Liverpool’s Julian Ward broke many a heart in the Manchester United fanbase as the Reds’ transfer guru helped his club snap up Cody Gakpo ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.
Erik ten Hag was questioned on the missed opportunity ahead of the official confirmation and supplied a somewhat coy set of answers.
“I don’t talk about individual cases,” the former Ajax boss told Amazon Prime (via Team Talk).
“We are looking for offensive players, we are looking for a striker. It would be good because the games coming, there are so many, every third day.
“It is tough. We want to play in all the leagues we are in so hopefully we keep going [in them] until the end of the season but to do that we need numbers in the squad to cover it all.”
The 23-year-old is the Merseysiders’ first signing of the winter window and a recent spate of reports would appear to suggest that it won’t be their last if the first-half of their campaign is anything to go by.
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It’s a sign of the two clubs’ contrasting fortunes (despite what the league table may suggest) with Liverpool outsmarting another league rival for an attacking target in January – having previously beat out interest from Tottenham for the addition of Luis Diaz last year.
There are, of course, plenty of signs from the Old Trafford-based outfit under Ten Hag’s stewardship to suggest they are a team in the ascendancy.
Though, it seems Manchester United fans will have to be patient with their hopes of seeing the Red Devils go toe to toe with their old rivals on the pitch and, importantly, in the transfer market.
Tbh as much as he was exciting idea I was actually worried about any expensive signing impeding garnachos progress