Shock Man United move for Alexis Mac Allister that would have been 89-year first unlikely

A shock Alexis Mac Allister switch from Liverpool to Manchester United is regarded as highly unlikely, talkSPORT understands.

Reports swirled on Monday that the Red Devils were weighing up a shock raid on their bitter rivals for the World Cup-winning star.

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While the 27-year-old is believed to be a player United have monitored, it’s understood that no deal is expected to materialise.

No player has made the direct switch from Anfield to Old Trafford since Ted Savage in 1937.

Mac Allister, who joined Liverpool from Brighton in a £55million package deal in 2023, is tied down in Merseyside until 2028.

He has suffered from a dip in form this term, chipping in with just two assists from 25 Premier League outings.

And there have even been calls for Mac Allister to be dropped by Reds boss Arne Slot amid his struggles.

Ex-winger Jermaine Pennant told talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool show after their loss to Manchester City: “Listen, we love you, you’ve been a great player for Liverpool, you’ve been a great player, you are a great player, you were in the Team of the Season.

“I touched on that after your injury in pre-season, you’ve come back a shadow of what you are; it seems like your legs have gone.

“In that [Man City] game, he was literally a bystander, he didn’t really get into it at all.”

Man United’s move for Mac Allister is not expected to happen, but the Red Devils are likely to be on the lookout for a midfielder.

United will be saying goodbye to Casemiro at the end of the season, with the veteran announcing that he’d be leaving last month.

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Extremely unlikely switch

As mentioned, no player has made the direct switch from Liverpool to Man United since Savage in 1937.

In fact, there have only ever been eight transfers between the two clubs in their entire history.

The most recent such move was Phil Chisnall joining the Reds from their bitter rivals in 1964.

Tom McNulty had made the same switch 10 years earlier, while Tom Reid, Tom Miller and Tom Chorlton all joined Man United from Liverpool between 1912 and 1920.

Fred Hopkin and Jackie Sheldon joined Liverpool from United in 1921 and 1913, respectively.

The bitter historic rivalry between the two clubs is sure to have made a huge impact on their dealings with each other.

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Arsenal coach Gabriel Heinze found out how tough it is to move between clubs in 2007 when he was playing for Man United and attempted to join Liverpool.

“I can assure you, Liverpool will not be getting Gabriel Heinze,” manager Alex Ferguson said. “We can put that to bed right now and we have done so.”

The player even sought legal advice at being denied a transfer, but he ultimately didn’t get his way.

When do Liverpool next play Man United?

Next up for Liverpool and Mac Allister is a trip to take on Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest.

They’ll be playing at the City Ground on Sunday at 2pm.

Meanwhile, for Man United, they are preparing to take on Everton next Monday, exclusively live on talkSPORT.

As for the next time they face each other, they’re going to have to wait a few more months to renew their rivalry.

The Reds are set to travel to Old Trafford on May 2, in what will be the fourth-last game of the season.

In their first meeting earlier this campaign, United came away from Anfield with three points in a 2-1 win thanks to Harry Maguire.