Manchester United is expected to win the competition to acquire Jadon Sancho, but Liverpool can provide something that Manchester United cannot to Saul Niguez.
With England's two most successful clubs set to compete for the Premier League title once more, the summer transfer window in 2021 has taken on even more significance, and the Red Devils are poised to tie the game up at 1-1.
Liverpool snatched Ibrahima Konate from United, humiliating them in the process. United executives called Leipzig to inquire about Virgil van Dijk's summer availability, only to be told he had already negotiated personal terms with Jurgen Klopp's side, as was the situation with Virgil van Dijk and Southampton in 2018.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now leveled the score, with Sancho likely to join United.
Sancho was beaten by United.
It hasn't been verified yet, and we all know that anything can happen in sport – PSG's last-minute signing of Georginio Wijnaldum is proof of that.
However, according to AS, United are ‘close to striking [an] agreement' with Dortmund on a fee for the 21-year-old, with add-ons expected to cost in the region of £77.5 million. It will be completed in the next several hours, according to them.
Despite our sources stating he was open to working with Jurgen Klopp, he will reportedly earn £350,000 a week, almost double what Mo Salah makes at Anfield. This is the key reason why Liverpool did not challenge for his signature.
While it's frustrating to see Klopp have to back out of a deal to recruit Sancho owing to financial concerns, it's the appropriate move given the club's pay structure.
That, plus...
...Liverpool may sign Saul before United.
Both teams are in the market for a new central midfielder, and both have been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez.
At first appearance, neither party appears to have a chance of landing a player who is under contract until 2026 and has a €150 million (£129 million) release clause, but according to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid is reportedly willing to sell him for roughly €80 million (£69 million).
That's a large chunk of money, but if Liverpool were willing to pay £27 million for Thiago at the age of 30, it seems sense to pay slightly more for someone five years his junior.
Especially if sporting director Michael Edwards can work out a deal similar to the one he struck with Bayern Munich.
Saul is a fantastic player who would bring a lot of skill to the Reds' midfield. Jurgen Klopp would be able to rotate between him, Fabinho, Henderson, and Thiago without sacrificing quality if he signed him.
Importantly, Mundo Deportivo reports that Saul will only consider joining a club with "a really attractive project," which puts Klopp's Liverpool ahead of the pack in my opinion.
I'm biased, but I believe the German is a better manager than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has a proven winning squad.
He was absolutely fantastic against Liverpool in the Champions League when Atleti knocked them out at Anfield, and though he isn't a showy player who will dribble past two or three opponents, he is ideal for the Reds' midfield.
Given that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are entrusted with rushing forward in order to generate opportunities for the front three, adding a man like Saul, who is content to mop up counter assaults and pass the ball to more skilled players like Thiago or Salah, would help the Reds even more.
Adding Saul to the mix will reinforce Liverpool's credentials as Premier League championship contenders, with Virgil van Dijk returning from injury and Ibrahima Konate poised to make his Reds debut this season.
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