Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho told the club not to enter the bidding race for Virgil van Dijk before the player signed for Liverpool, according to reports.
Van Dijk, who recently won the UEFA Player of the Year and is among the three nominees for the prestigious Ballon d’Or, helped guide the Reds to Champions League glory in Madrid, along with shoring up the back line on Merseyside exponentially.
But, according to the Independent, Mourinho decided he did not need Van Dijk in his plans at Old Trafford.
Mourinho had overseen the purchases of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof, and was said to be willing to work with what he had.
Just one season following Mourinho’s sacking by United, the club shelled out £85million to make Harry Maguire the world’s most expensive defender, eclipsing the fee Liverpool paid for Van Dijk.

Award winning journalist and writer who has worked as a stringer for a couple of acclaimed South Africa based German journalists, covered 3 Ugandan elections, 2008 Kenya election crisis, with interests in business and sports reporting.