Liverpool could increase Manchester United transfer pressure during pre-season tour

Manchester United’s first pre-season fixture is one to please the bean counters at Old Trafford and Anfield and thrill the crowds in Bangkok, but given their recent history, it’s not ideal to start a new era against Liverpool.

Erik ten Hag will have had a week with his full squad when he takes charge of United for the first time at the Rajamangala Stadium a week on Tuesday. It will be stiflingly hot and humid in Thailand’s biggest city, but just the sight of Liverpool will be enough to bring some of these United players out in a cold sweat.

The two fixtures against their fierce rivals were among the nadirs of a disastrous season and the aggregate score of 9-0 will be bragged about on Merseyside for years to come. United were abject in losing 5-0 at Old Trafford and 4-0 at Anfield.

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This fixture is a limb-loosener as much as anything else, a first pre-season friendly to blow off the rust and ease back into match action, but it’s the likes of Liverpool that United need to catch under Ten Hag and at Anfield they are excelling on and off the pitch.

The season might have ended miserably for Jurgen Klopp’s team, but the mood around the club and their fans will be buoyant in Bangkok. They acted decisively to sign forward Darwin Nunez — a player United were interested in — and have now secured the long-term future of Mohamed Salah.

At United there is excitement around the start of the Ten Hag era but it’s also been a slow burn of a summer, one that is now threatening to be derailed by the uncertainty around Cristiano Ronaldo's future. The internationals return to Carrington for pre-season this week and the transfer window has been open for more than three weeks,