"Would bring a dominance to the team" – Gary Neville names Liverpool player he would like to sign for Manchester United

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has stated that he would choose Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk to marshall the Red Devils' backline ahead of next Sunday's league clash.

During a chat on Sky Sports' The Overlap podcast, Neville and Reds legend Jamie Carragher were previewing the league clash between the two rivals. When queried to name a Reds star he would like to pick in the Red Devils' starting lineup, Neville replied (h/t Anfield Watch):

"Van Dijk would bring a dominance to the team, a presence, that we haven't got. We haven't got a forward as good as Mohamed Salah but we've got talented forwards. We say there's no Roy Keanes anymore, there's no Vincent Kompanys anymore, there's no John Terrys anymore... there actually is one now at Liverpool."

Heaping praise on the 32-year-old Liverpool centre-back, Neville said:

"You think about he's performed this season. He's a massive presence on that pitch. He's not the same character as some of those that I've mentioned maybe but he actually is quite dominant on the pitch and he does actually speak a lot more than maybe people think and he actually has got an aura about him."

Asserting that the Netherlands international would positively influence a number of Manchester United first-team players, Neville concluded:

"And I think that if you want to change Manchester United's complete and utter culture, they need that dominant person that holds them together. I think that Van Dijk would control [Kobbie] Mainoo, even someone like Antony and [Marcus] Rashford. I think he would build them, not break them."

Since joining the Reds from Southampton for £75 million in January 2018, Van Dijk has transformed his team into an European heavyweight. He has helped them win eight trophies, making 259 appearances so far.

Liverpool in pole position to sign 19-year-old Manchester United target this summer

According to Portuguese sports newspaper O Jogo, Liverpool have joined the race to rope in Benfica star Joao Neves in the upcoming summer transfer window. They are likely to face competition from Manchester United and Chelsea for the 19-year-old's signature.

However, Liverpool are believed to be the main contenders in the ongoing race as they could offer Neves UEFA Champions League football next campaign. They are hoping to finalise a transfer for the midfielder on the back of their great relationship with the Eagles.

Neves, who reportedly has a release clause of close to £103 million, has made 66 appearances across all competitions for Benfica. He has netted four goals and laid out three assists for his boyhood team so far.