In 2021, Liverpool was urged to pay big money to get Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, a few months before Manchester United did so.

After a public dispute with Erik ten Hag, the 23-year-old England international is poised to quit Old Trafford in the new year. In September, after the Red Devils manager accused Sancho of training inadequately, he was released from the team.

After hearing Sancho’s statement, Ten Hag became enraged and decided to stop playing with him. With just nine goals and six assists in 58 Premier League appearances since his £73 million transfer from Germany, Sancho has been cut from the England squad.

With his career stagnating, Sancho may have signed with the wrong club in the summer of 2021. One of Liverpool’s past players reportedly advised Jurgen Klopp to outbid Dortmund for the player before he ultimately signed with Manchester United.

In April of 2021, Fabio Borini, Brendan Rodgers’ first acquisition as Liverpool manager, advised Jurgen Klopp to make a move for Jadon Sancho. The Englishman’s 38 goals and 51 assists in 104 Bundesliga games for Dortmund made him a promising young player.

Considering Liverpool’s rivals, Borini told Caught Offside that he believes the squad would benefit from having more attacking depth. “Jadon Sancho would be a great signing and it would be fun to steal him from Manchester United.”

The transfer of Sancho to Merseyside fell through, but might it be revived in the new year? Despite the fact that the argument between Sancho and Ten Hag, which began following United’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal at the beginning of September, shows little sign of abating, the club is unlikely to trade the £73 million player to their fiercest rivals.

Reporters: “Jadon, based on his performances in training we did not select him,” Ten Hag said. Every day is a test at Manchester United, but we have options up front. His absence from the roster was a result.