Report: The Manchester United midfielder Arne Slot rejected the chance to sign after deciding Liverpool already had better

01/05/2025 07:45 AM

Arne Slot was offered the chance to sign one of Manchester United’s midfielders when he joined in the summer but instead opted to stick with what he already had at the club.

Liverpool were keen to sign a new midfielder back in the summer, however, after failing to land one of their top targets the new boss decided to stick with his current options.

The Merseyside club were given the chance to rival Manchester United to one of their targets but Slot told the club not to pursue a deal for the former Sporting Lisbon man.

Arne Slot turned down signing Manuel Ugarte

The Times are reporting that Liverpool were offered the chance to sign Manuel Ugarte before his move to Manchester United. The Reds wanted a midfielder in the summer and first tried to land Martin Zubimendi.

Liverpool were rejected by Zubimendi and had to walk away from a deal for the Spaniard. Arne Slot was then faced with the decision of whether to stick or twist with Ugarte being offered to him.

Slot opted to remain with what he had and stuck with Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutch manager preferred to have a constructive midfielder rather than a destructive one with the former Ajax player offering much more all-round than Ugarte.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool midfield gamble paid off big-time

Slot’s decision to stick with Gravenberch has proven to be a huge success with the 22-year-old becoming one of the Premier League’s best midfielders. The Dutch manager has sculpted his compatriot into the perfect number-six for his system.

He would have known about Gravenberch with the youngster being a big up-and-coming name in the Netherlands. he was a massive prospect at Ajax, however, after moving to Bayern Munich his stocks fell significantly.

Even under Jurgen Klopp, he struggled to get back to his best but the new Liverpool boss has mostly certainly got his career back on track.