Owen Hargreaves has named one former Liverpool player that he’d love to see at Manchester United, having put the Red Devils to the sword recently.
Dominic Solanke spent just one-and-a-half seasons at Anfield before moving to Bournemouth for £19m nearly five years ago. He’s been with the Cherries ever since, scoring in their historic 3-0 win at Old Trafford last weekend.
It was his ninth goal so far this term, and his 65th in total for his current side (Transfermarkt), and the TNT Sports pundit feels that the 27-year-old would now be ready to establish himself at a club like the Red Devils.
Hargreaves told Premier League Productions (11 December, 14:20): “I would take him at Manchester United, all day. At Chelsea, he was the prized academy player. He went to Liverpool with that brilliant front three, that generational front three.
“He was never going to break into that, but I think he would have learnt and been mentored from [Bobby] Firmino, [Sadio] Mane and [Mo] Salah. We saw it with Wilf [Zaha] when he went to Manchester United. He wasn’t ready. He was too young.
“I think now Solanke, he will get another big move. Whether it’s Man United or not, to get a kid that big and technically that good, who is smart enough, can run the channels and press. He will get another chance at the top, I am certain.”
As Hargreaves pointed out, Solanke arrived at Liverpool in the same summer as Salah, who turned out to be the final piece of the glorious forward jigsaw along with Firmino and Mane.
He came to Anfield off the high of winning the Golden Ball in England’s triumph at the Under-20 World Cup in 2017, but found it impossible to break into Jurgen Klopp’s side regularly, ending his time at the Reds with just one goal in 27 appearances (Transfermarkt).
However, he’s bound to have learned plenty from working at close quarters with such a world-class trio, while the experience he’s since accrued with Bournemouth – for whom he’s excelling this season – could yet earn him another eye-catching transfer, whether it’s to United or somewhere else.
If Hargreaves is to get his wish, Solanke would become the first ex-Liverpool player since Michael Owen to move to Old Trafford later in his career.
The 2001 FA Cup-winning marksman burnt his bridges with many on Merseyside following that transfer to Manchester, but the current Cherries striker hadn’t established himself at Anfield in the same manner, so he probably wouldn’t attract the same level of scorn were he to follow suit.
Still, you’d be hard pressed to find a Reds supporter who’d approve of a former LFC player going on to play for their arch-rivals, even if it isn’t a direct move between the two clubs.