Liverpool boss Arne Slot can use 'next Kevin De Bruyne' to rub salt in Man Utd wounds

Liverpool boss Arne Slot could get one over Manchester United by signing the ‘next Kevin De Bruyne’ in the January window.

The gulf in class between the two teams has been evident over the last few months, with the Reds on top in the Premier League title race and United languishing in the bottom half.

In the summer, Liverpool resisted the temptation to splash huge amounts of cash by making just two signings. United, meanwhile, oversaw a frantic recruitment drive in Dan Ashworth’s one and only window as the club’s sporting director.

With the 53-year-old no longer at Old Trafford following his surprise exit on Sunday, Liverpool will have the opportunity to beat the Red Devils to an exciting deal when the market re-opens in January.

Both clubs have been credited with a desire to land Georgiy Sudakov, who has been making waves at Shakhtar Donetsk. The 22-year-old, who can play in a holding role or as a box-to-box midfielder, has gone from strength to strength over the last few seasons.

He was recently offered high praise by Oskar Ratulutra, head of development at Shakhtar, who told ESPN before the Euros: “I think all top clubs in Ukraine wanted to take him, but our academy made it and we are very happy that we did.”

Quizzed on which player Sudakov can be compared to, Ratulutra added: “I’d say maybe like Kevin De Bruyne. He can play box-to-box and he can do everything. He is always in the game.”

United were linked with the midfielder in the summer, with the Evening Standard reporting the Red Devils were keeping a close eye on his development. However, a move to Old Trafford failed to materialise and he ended up staying at Shakhtar.

More recently, it has been claimed that Liverpool are interested in snapping him up for themselves. He is likely to be viewed as an upgrade on Wataru Endo, who is expected to leave the Reds at some point in the near future.

The opportunity to strike could present itself next month, with Sudakov’s agent Vadim Shabliy recently suggesting that his client would be happy to move elsewhere.

He said: “Shakhtar and the player are open to offers, and that means there is a high probability that we will soon be able to see Georgiy in the top leagues.”

Only time will tell if Sudakov will be a Liverpool player at the end of January, with the Reds able to capitalise on the disarray at United by pipping their greatest rivals to his signature.