Six weeks ago Manchester United might have looked at Kalvin Phillips and Darwin Nunez and thought they had a good chance of strengthening their midfield and attack this summer.
United's interest in Phillips was revealed by the Manchester Evening News in April, while Nunez has been towards the top of a list of potential attacking signings for a while, as a player who has attracted admiring glances from across Europe. But then Fernandinho announced his intention to leave Manchester City and the Blues lined up Phillips as his replacement, leaving United fighting a losing battle on a player who was unsure of the merits of swapping Leeds for their bitter rivals.
United were never likely to have a clear run at Nunez, but Sadio Mane's intended departure from Liverpool has made the Anfield club clear favourites to sign the 22-year-old. Not only are they a more attractive proposition than United at the moment, but they have a more efficient transfer structure as well.
