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Liverpool drop out of the race for prolific Manchester United target

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Rohit Sarkar | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 6:37 PM ET

Liverpool are not interested in signing Manchester United target Jean Phillipe-Mateta

We have been watching Manchester United stumble over the same stones for years. Promises, names, figures… but goals remain a coin toss. In 2023-24, we saw Rasmus Højlund have some brilliant moments, but they were very sporadic. In the 2024/25 season, the Dane practically had no impact. Meanwhile, Joshua Zirkzee arrived as a reinforcement and contributed little. While the big teams are decisively securing offensive talent, we are still waiting for someone to step up, but now, with Mateta on the scene, there is a different light at the end of the tunnel.

Last season once again highlighted a burning truth: we don’t have a reliable striker. Højlund finished with poor numbers; his impact without the ball and his ability to decide games fell short. Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, which promises mobility and high pressure, needs a proper number clinical number nine; one who doesn’t hide, who doesn’t hesitate, who doesn’t need six games to get into rhythm. Without that, neither Bruno Fernandes nor Matheus Cunha can shine as they should.

The signs in the transfer market point to movement. Meanwhile, Liverpool seem to have abandoned the race for Jean-Philippe Mateta. According to Pete O’Rourke on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the Anfield club are closing a deal for Hugo Ekitike and no longer has the Crystal Palace striker in mind. Last week, they had talks with Mateta’s entourage in Paris, but they didn’t go any further. This could open the door for United.

Market opportunity: Mateta has what we need

Mateta scored 14 goals in the Premier League last season. It was no fluke. He has physicality, aggression, spatial awareness, and a touch rarely found in a player of his stature. At 28, the Frenchman is not a work in progress, but he is ready. He can offer what Zirkzee did not show and what Højlund cannot yet maintain. If Palace don’t want to negotiate for less than £60 million, an offer of £40 million plus variables could break the ice.

We still don’t understand how some people prefer names over facts. Hugo Ekitike is young, but he costs more than twice as much as Mateta and has less experience in real leagues. Do we want talent or performance? Mateta has already proven he can carry an attack. With him, Amorim could use Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo behind him, free up Bruno and finally have a serious reference point in the box. Plus, his price—between £25 and £35 million depending on the context—is reasonable in this absurd market.

We can’t waste time again. Juventus and Milan are already circling. If we continue to sleep, we will see Mateta end up at another club, while we continue to debate whether Højlund needs ‘confidence’ or ‘support’. Sell Jadon Sancho, free up salary, and go for someone who can score at Old Trafford from day one. Jean-Philippe Mateta is not the future; he is the present that Manchester United might need.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

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