Manchester United in talks to sign £34m defender who Liverpool were preparing to move for

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The gulf in quality between Liverpool and Manchester United has been big for quite some time, yet the gap has never been as vast as it currently is right now.

Arne Slot’s side sit comfortably at the top of the Premier League by six points with a game in hand over second-place Arsenal, whilst Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils sit in an astonishingly low 13th place, a whole 24 points off Liverpool.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	21	15	5	1	50	20	30	50
2	ArsenalArsenal	22	12	8	2	43	21	22	44
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	22	13	5	4	33	22	11	44
4	ChelseaChelsea	22	11	7	4	44	27	17	40
5	Man CityManchester City	22	11	5	6	44	29	15	38
6	NewcastleNewcastle	22	11	5	6	38	26	12	38
7	B’mouthBournemouth	22	10	7	5	36	26	10	37
8	Aston VillaAston Villa	22	10	6	6	33	34	-1	36
9	BrightonBrighton	22	8	10	4	35	30	5	34
10	FulhamFulham	22	8	9	5	34	30	4	33
11	BrentfordBrentford	22	8	4	10	40	39	1	28
12	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	22	6	9	7	25	28	-3	27
13	Man UtdManchester United	22	7	5	10	27	32	-5	26

With Gary Lineker predicting Liverpool to win the Premier League this season, it could take years before United are once again competing with the Reds for the title or even looking good enough to take on the Anfield side in a one-off match.

Yet United are trying to remedy that by moving for one of Liverpool’s rumoured targets.

Manchester United in talks to sign Liverpool target Patrick Dorgu

According to the Athletic, the Old Trafford side have opened talks with US Lecce to sign Danish international Patrick Dorgu, with the left-back valued at £34m and regarded as one of the most exciting talents in Europe.

Liverpool are also set to move for Dorgu with Slot keen to improve the left-back position after calls from Jamie Carragher to replace Andy Robertson, who this season has dropped off massively after years as one of the best in the role.

With Liverpool also interested in Milos Kerkez after a breakout season at AFC Bournemouth, it’s clear that the left-back position is one that the Reds are eager to overhaul this year with Robertson declining and Kostas Tsimikas’ injury record causing some big selection headaches.

And United moving for Dorgu complicates matters for Liverpool, with the 20-year-old defender another ideal option for the Reds in their missing to evolve their left-back options given how impressive the Danish youngster has been this season for Lecce.

What has Dorgu said about Premier League interest?

Dorgu’s rise from Lecce’s reserve side to one of the most coveted defenders in Europe has been impressive in the last 18 months, with a Premier League move now on the cards for the Scandinavian youngster.

And the defender himself is aware that big teams are keeping tabs on his development, with Dorgu previously saying interest from Liverpool was ‘good motivation’ and a sign that he is heading in the right direction with Lecce.

Indeed, Dorgu’s future will be an interesting one to follow in the coming weeks, and Liverpool fans will hope the defender makes the right call and waits for an official move from Anfield before jumping at the chance to join United.