It all comes down to one man as Liverpool sabotage United’s transfer ambitions for the third time in a year.

Alexis Mac Allister, who made it clear that he only had eyes for Liverpool, attracted interest from Manchester United as well.

On the surface, it appears that Alexis Mac Allister had no choice.

In one corner, there is a team that is on the rise, back in the Champions League after a brief absence, with a manager who won one trophy in his first season, made another final, and is anticipated to further expensively strengthen his squad this summer.

In the other, a team that had its worst full season under the current manager, was eliminated from the Champions League for the first time in seven years, and had just witnessed two of their most decorated players leave for nothing was compelled to give up on their pursuit of a long-term summer transfer target due to financial constraints.

But football isn’t always so cut and dry. in cases involving Jurgen Klopp, in particular.

Yes, the discounted release clause for Mac Allister that was negotiated into the contract signed with Brighton in October made the 24-year-old a particularly appealing prospect to Liverpool under the transfer model used by Fenway Sports Group. He would have otherwise been available on a free at the end of the season. Given that Enzo Fernandez, Mac Allister’s midfield partner in the Argentina World Cup final, joined Chelsea in January for £106 million, the Reds’ recruitment team should be commended for being aware of such a clause.

However, the player’s decision was ultimately made by Klopp and his understanding of Liverpool’s future goals and how the former Argentinos Juniors player fits into those goals. Manchester City had also been snooping around, but Liverpool’s allure and their unstoppable manager prevailed.

Of course, Mac Allister isn’t the first player to choose to join Klopp’s Liverpool over offers from other prominent Premier League clubs. Virgil van Dijk, who chose to move to Anfield over Chelsea or Manchester City, is a good comparison because both players came from South Coast sides.

Antonio Conte was the manager of Chelsea, who held the championship in the summer of 2017. And Pep Guardiola had finished the season he needed to settle in at the Etihad and adjust to English football.

However, neither was Klopp. Van Dijk was persuaded to move by the Liverpool manager’s ability to paint a picture of a potential future at Anfield, even though the Reds ultimately had to wait a few months before it was finalized in January 2018.

“Obviously, from a Liverpool perspective, everyone is aware of how vivacious he is, how he can improve players, and how he can inspire them. The defender said after completing his £75 million transfer, “It just suits me as well.

Similar circumstances occurred with Sadio Mane, who was also plucked from a South Coast club, Southampton, in 2016. Mane turned down Manchester United in favor of joining Liverpool.

Mane admitted last year, “I must say, I was very, very close to joining Manchester United. “There was the contract I had. I had it all figured out. It was all set up, but I decided that I wanted to travel to Liverpool instead. I was persuaded to support (Jurgen) Klopp’s initiative. I can still clearly recall the first time Klopp called. We have a significant project at Liverpool, and I want you to be involved, he said. “.

Mane and Van Dijk, to a lesser extent, were both taking bigger risks than Mac Allister, who joins Liverpool knowing Klopp has previously swept the board with major victories and last season came just short of leading the Reds to an unprecedented treble.

And there have been more recent instances as well. For instance, the Reds beat United to the signing of Darwin Nunez last summer, and Cody Gakpo could have accepted an offer from Old Trafford to stay at PSV Eindhoven until the end of the season, but was persuaded to move to Anfield in January.

The financial clout of some of Liverpool’s close Premier League competitors may be lacking. The ability of Klopp to sell a vision, however, remains priceless.