Manchester United reportedly invited Liverpool forward to Carrington, raising transfer fears.
Liverpool and Manchester United have always watched each other closely. When one club moves, the other reacts. That rivalry does not start on matchday. It starts behind the scenes, long before names reach the back of a shirt.
Liverpool’s system has never been about hype. It has been about production. Over the years, the club has built a system that turns raw talent into first-team footballers.
Trent Alexander-Arnold came through it. So did Curtis Jones. More recently, players like Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley have followed that same path.
The message inside Kirkby is clear: if you are good enough, you will play.
That reputation is now what draws attention from outside. When a young player starts standing out in Liverpool’s youth teams, rival clubs take notice fast.
It does not take long before phone calls are made, scouts return, and doors begin to open elsewhere.
Liverpool know this pattern well. It is the price of developing players the right way. The better the academy becomes, the more pressure there is to protect its best prospects.
Right now, one of Liverpool’s brightest young forwards is feeling that pressure. He is scoring freely. He is gaining international attention. And now, a direct rival looks to have made their move.
And if reports are true, then it means that Old Trafford has come calling.
16 year old Vincent Joseph joined Liverpool in 2018. He is a centre-forward who can also play in attacking midfield.
He was born in Germany and holds dual nationality with England.
Joseph has been one of the most productive attackers in the academy. He scored back-to-back hat-tricks against Everton and Stockport County in the 2024/25 season.
For England U16s, he scored six goals in four games. That run included a hat-trick against the Netherlands in December 2025.
His rise has created what has been described as an international “tug of war” between England and Germany.
He has played for both nations at youth level. Academy staff also say his move into the U18s is a matter of timing rather than readiness.
That shows how highly he is rated inside the club.
The story first came from a Manchester United academy page known for youth updates, which claimed that a Liverpool player had been given a private tour of Carrington, without revealing his name.
Soon after, fans reported seeing the same player at a Manchester United FA Youth Cup match, which only increased the speculation.
It was then picked up by a separate page that tracks scouts and youth player movements, who identified the player as Vincent Joseph.
That revelation turned the rumour into a serious talking point, as Liverpool and Manchester United rarely cross paths over young prospects unless there is genuine interest, and for Liverpool, the timing could not be worse.
Have a feeling it’s Vincent. He’s at Old Trafford again tonight for the FAYC. https://t.co/mh6cDVecCW
— Filly (@FillyLFC) January 23, 2026
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