Path clear as Liverpool not in the race for Manchester United target

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Shrishh Attavar | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 10:45 PM ET

Talk of Liverpool swooping in for Carlos Baleba or Adam Wharton stands quickly shut down. Journalist Ben Jacobs makes it clear that Anfield’s focus lies elsewhere. While rumour has gathered pace in recent weeks, especially as both midfielders continue to attract attention, Jacobs says Liverpool are not circling United’s targets.

Speaking to The United Stand via MEN, he explained that Liverpool are not prioritising a deeper midfielder right now. If they were to add anyone, he said, it would be a more attacking profile rather than someone in the mould of Baleba or Wharton. That puts the speculation to bed and leaves the door open for United, should they finally move with conviction.

On Wharton, Jacobs believes there is already a loose agreement in place for him to leave Crystal Palace in the summer. United will not be alone in that queue, but at least they will not need to fend off Liverpool. With Baleba, Brighton’s valuation simply priced everyone out. United spent the final weeks of the last window doing background work on the 20-year-old, but the Seagulls were talking about a Caicedo-level fee which would be a bit much for any club.

Baleba to OT?

What matters now is whether United act first when the opportunity returns. They cannot pretend the midfield is settled. The window just gone remained framed around fixing the forward line after last season’s goal drought, and fine, that was justified in isolation. But by putting everything into Sesko, Cunha and Mbeumo, the club effectively rolled the dice on a midfield group that already looked thin.

Ruben Amorim chose not to add another body behind Fernandes and Casemiro, and you can already see the strain. Casemiro has lost mobility, Ugarte is still adapting, and Mainoo sees himself stuck between talent and opportunity. It isn’t a crisis yet, but it is heading that way if reinforcements are not the first priority.

Liverpool might not be in the race, but Chelsea, City and even Bayern could be when the time comes. United need to decide whether Baleba or Wharton is truly part of the rebuild, or whether the club will once again admire a player for 18 months without getting anything done.

January will tempt, but the summer feels more realistic. Either way, waiting much longer risks slipping further behind England and Europe’s elite. The Brighton factory keeps churning, and United have to act soon.

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

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