Alexis Mac Allister already explained why he picked Liverpool over Man Utd

Alexis Mac Allister is being linked with a sensational move to Manchester United, but the Liverpool hero showed little interest in moving to Old Trafford back in 2023

Alexis Mac Allister is wanted by Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool fans were left stunned on Monday after it emerged that Alexis Mac Allister is a transfer target for Manchester United.

As reported by Mirror Football, the Red Devils are considering a shock move for Mac Allister, 27, when the transfer window re-opens this summer. United is looking to revamp its midfield, with Casemiro set to leave Manchester when his contract expires in June.

Yet Liverpool is under no pressure to sell Mac Allister, who still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract. The World Cup winner has also turned down United before, doing so just before he became a Liverpool player during the summer of 2023.

At the time, the Red Devils were moving in the right direction under Erik ten Hag. They had just reached two cup finals, winning the Carabao Cup but missing out on the FA Cup, and finished third in the Premier League table to secure Champions League soccer.

Liverpool, meanwhile, had just finished fifth under Jurgen Klopp, which was only enough for Europa League qualification. But even though United could offer Mac Allister Champions League soccer, the Argentine midfielder only had eyes for Liverpool.

Having lifted the World Cup with Argentina the previous year, Mac Allister sensed Liverpool - not United - was the team moving in the right direction. "Since I won the World Cup, I said that I want to win more trophies," he said after joining Liverpool from Brighton.

Mac Allister chose Liverpool over Manchester United back in 2023(Image: Getty Images)

"And I think that this club will help me to do that. That’s the aim, and when you are in a big club like this one, you have to win trophies. So, that’s what I want."

Mac Allister made the right decision. While United has won silverware since - clinching the FA Cup in 2024 - it is Liverpool that has been more successful of late, winning the Carabao Cup under Klopp in 2024 and the Premier League under Arne Slot last year.

The Reds are also in contention to win more silverware this term. While they are sixth in the Premier League table, Slot's players have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League. In comparison, United's hopes of winning silverware this season are over after crashing out of both domestic cup competitions.

Mac Allister added in his first interview as a Liverpool player: "Since I arrived here, I can see how big this club is – the players we have, the staff, everyone. I’m really pleased and looking forward to playing for this club."

Liverpool will hope Mac Allister pays little interest to United and other clubs, with Real Madrid also keeping a close eye on the player.

Mac Allister made a slow start to this campaign thanks to the lingering injury problem that he picked up toward the end of last season, but he's starting to find his form and fitness again.

The Reds will need him at his best if they are to salvage this season.

Mac Allister and his teammates will be keen to win both the FA Cup and the Champions League. They will also want to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League; Liverpool is currently three points behind United in fourth and two adrift of Chelsea in fifth.