10 Man Utd Players Who Nearly Signed For Liverpool

10. Ashley Young

For most Manchester United supporters this is one player they'll wish Liverpool had pipped them to. While Young has shown signs of improvement in pre-season the last few weeks, flourishing in Louis van Gaal's inventive 3-4-1-2 formation, his time at Old Trafford must be considered a waste of money. A £16 million signing from Aston Villa in June 2011, he has flopped dramatically, struggling to command a starting berth and scoring a paltry eight league goals. For weeks, however, it appeared that his destination was to be Anfield and not Old Trafford. With Liverpool's new owners, Fenway Sports Group, having re-instead firm Anfield favourite Kenny Dalglish as manager, a goodwill vibe was rippling throughout the club again. Having reached a low ebb in January with the sale of Fernando Torres, the club were embarking on a splurge, focusing on a young contingent of English talent. With Young having entered the final year of his contract, and a get-out clause inserted in the region of £16 million, Liverpool were shoe-horned in a battle with their Mancunian counterparts for his signature. However, with Liverpool unable to offer him the Champions League football he so craved, Man United won out in the race for his signature, leaving Dalglish to settle for Young's Villa colleague Stewart Downing instead.

''There was never any doubt once I knew United were interested. When one of the biggest clubs in the world comes after you, whether to sign for them or not is a no-brainer. I just wanted to get my signature on the paper.'' - Ashley Young, June 2011.