Man Utd could be forced into January transfer panic after making similar mistake to Liverpool

Manchester United and Liverpool both made similar blunders during the summer transfer window — just at opposite ends of the field.

The Reds' failure to land Marc Guehi left them short of experienced options in defense, and it didn't take long for that problem to be compounded by Giovanni Leoni's potentially season-ending injury.

Now, Liverpool finds itself in a position where a further injury to either Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate or Joe Gomez would leave the team without a genuine back-up center-back in the squad.

January would be the earliest opportunity that the Reds could look to rectify the issue, so Arne Slot will be keeping his fingers crossed that his team gets to the new year with no further concerns at the back.

Similarly to Liverpool, arch-rival United lacks squad depth in a key position — but it is at the sharp end of the pitch where Ruben Amorim's concerns lie.

Benjamin Sesko is the only genuine striker in United's squad, although Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have played through the middle at times this term.

Sesko sustained a knee injury against Tottenham on Saturday, ruling him out of international duty during the two-week break, and it is not clear when he will return to action.

Just as Liverpool could be tempted to secure a new defender in January, United may be tempted to enter the transfer market for a stop-gap solution up front.

Regarding possible defensive targets for Liverpool, meanwhile, Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan has reportedly emerged as an alternative option to Guehi, who remains the Reds' first-choice target.

Guehi looks set to leave Palace for free when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Liverpool is expected to face stiff competition for his services.

Liverpool effectively had a free run at Guehi earlier this year, but several big European clubs would no doubt view him as an appealing proposition on a free transfer in 2026.

Liverpool is short of options in the center of defense at the moment, with the deadline-day collapse of Guehi's move coupled with Leoni's long-term knee injury leaving the team with just Van Dijk, Konate and Gomez.

There are currently question marks over all three players' futures, as Van Dijk turns 35 next summer, while Konate is set to become a free agent next year, and Liverpool was open to selling Gomez in each of Arne Slot's summers in charge.

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