Liverpool and Manchester United have started the 2026/27 Premier League season with contrasting results under their respective managers.
Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool drew their opening matches against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest before beating Ipswich Town 2–0.
Manchester United, meanwhile, lost 2–0 against Hull City before responding with a 5–2 victory over Ipswich. Michael Carrick’s side then drew 2–2 with Everton.
Both clubs also reshaped their squads during the summer transfer window. Liverpool strengthened with Bradley Barcola, Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet after Mohamed Salah’s departure.
Meanwhile, United focused heavily on midfield additions. Carlos Baleba joined United for £63.8M, while Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans also arrived.
So, attention is already turning towards potential future recruitment, particularly in defence.
According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool and Manchester United are monitoring Newcastle United defender Malick Thiaw ahead of future transfer windows.
Both clubs have tracked the 25-year-old’s performances. However, neither side has opened formal negotiations or held direct talks.
Thiaw joined Newcastle from AC Milan in August 2025 and has since become an important member of their squad.
Liverpool have previously monitored the Germany international as they assess possible additions at centre-back.
Manchester United are also considering their longer-term defensive options, with Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt facing uncertainty over their future roles.
Newcastle, however, have no intention of selling Thiaw at present. The defender remains under contract until 2029 and would reportedly command a fee of around £65M–£70M.
Thiaw can operate at centre-back, right-back or in defensive midfield, providing positional flexibility.
For now, Liverpool and United remain at the monitoring stage as Newcastle maintain their stance over a player they consider important.
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