Man United's reason for not signing Virgil van Dijk left me completely gobsmacked

One of Manchester United's biggest transfer mishaps was their decision to not sign Virgil van Dijk.

The commanding defender, 33, had attracted significant attention with his performances for Southampton. Following his £11.5m move from Celtic, Van Dijk demonstrated he was more than capable of handling the pace of the Premier League.

It seemed only a matter of time before he would join one of England's elite clubs. However, it was Liverpool who secured his signature, not United - a decision Old Trafford executives have been left to rue.

READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk's damning assessment of Man United star proven right after recent struggles

READ MORE: I saw £60m flop get absolutely battered for Man United - he looked lost

During the summer transfer window of 2017, the Red Devils were searching for a new centre-back. Van Dijk was among their top choices, yet they ultimately chose to pursue another target.

Charlie Austin, speaking on talkSPORT in 2021, recalled a revealing conversation with former team-mate Van Dijk during their time at Southampton. Austin recalled: "I remember the back end of his [Van Dijk's] Southampton career, we were on the bench together at Chelsea away.

"I sat there, I said, 'Come on Virgil, what's going on, surely Man United must've been in for you? Massive club in England, etc.' He said, 'You know what Chaz, in the summer it was like between me or [Victor] Lindelof and they signed Lindelof'.

"I was like, 'You are joking!' Nobody knows that, he told me that on the bench. I couldn't believe it, I was just as gobsmacked as you. Obviously, there was talk in the summer he was going to go there then they've gone and taken Lindelof instead."

While Lindelof has managed to clock up 260 appearances for United over seven-plus years, he has struggled to cement himself as a consistent first-choice centre-back. The Times reported in 2019 they'd revisited their interest in Van Dijk shortly before his January 2018 transfer to Liverpool for £75m.

Despite offering more money than the Merseyside club, United's attempt was too late with Van Dijk already completing his medical. As a result, £80m was splashed out on Harry Maguire instead that summer.

While Austin's revelation may leave United fans thinking 'what if?', he reckoned it never would have materialised. When asked if Van Dijk would have chosen United, he answered: "I'm not sure, I think he had his heart set on going to Liverpool."