Manchester United normally wouldn’t like to be compared to Liverpool, but if they look at them and sign a version of Virgil van Dijk for themselves, fans won’t be too unhappy.
The double signing of Alisson and Virgil van Dijk enabled Liverpool to win their first Premier League title under Jurgen Klopp.
Since then, the centre-back has grown into one of the world’s best, albeit a bit thin-skinned player if Wayne Rooney were to be asked!
However, his impact on Liverpool can’t be overstated, and it’s a good sign for Man Utd because their own dream target is trending in the direction of the Dutch defender.
The Virgil van Dijk lesson for Man Utd about Carlos Baleba
Van Dijk might be an extremely influential player for Liverpool today, but the way his transfer from Southampton materialised, nobody thought that would be the case.
Not only did Liverpool fail to get their man in the summer window (just like Carlos Baleba), Van Dijk went on to have a horrific six months thereafter.
From struggling to start for Southampton to not looking good even for the U23s, Van Dijk’s commitment was questioned.
Mentally, he was already at Liverpool, and although Southampton didn’t appreciate this very much, Liverpool knew that his poor form wasn’t a result of him becoming a bad player overnight.
If anything, he wanted to join them so desperately that he couldn’t perform to his best for those six months.
Therein lies the lesson for Man Utd about Carlos Baleba, who has been called their “dream target” many times since that failed attempt in the summer.
Baleba is struggling immensely this season, and Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has openly attributed this to United’s interest unsettling him.
In the meantime, other targets like Elliot Anderson are going from strength to strength, leaving Baleba in a weird place where fan sentiment is turning against him.
United need to look at Van Dijk’s rebirth after getting his wish and joining Liverpool, and believe in their choice made in the summer.
Baleba has passed Ineos’ first test
Baleba’s performances this season are concerning because they speak of a mental fragility since he hasn’t been able to move past United’s summer interest.
At the same time, this sees him pass the first test of Ineos at Old Trafford, which is to show ultimate commitment to a move to the club.
All of United’s summer signings had multiple clubs interested, but their insistence on joining United is what prompted the club chiefs to strike a deal.
Baleba’s drop in form speaks to how desperately he wants to join United, just like Van Dijk.
The hope now is that this version of Baleba, who is similar to Southampton’s Van Dijk, gives way to a world-class version of Baleba after joining United, similar to Liverpool’s Van Dijk when he got his move.
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