MU fans say Liverpool purple patch is over realising they let Bergvall slip away

MANCHESTER UNITED supporters are fuming after realising they missed out on wonderkid Lucas Bergvall.

The 18-year-old Swede netted a dramatic winner as Tottenham beat Liverpool 1-0 in Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

Bergvall kept his cool late on to fire past Alisson and give under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou a vital victory.

The teenage midfielder signed for Tottenham in a dramatic Deadline Day swoop last January.

Spurs hijacked Bergvall's deal to Barcelona, signing him for £8.5 million from Swedish club Djurgarden.

But long before his switch to North London, Bergvall TWICE had trials with Man Utd - once aged 14, and another aged 16.

He was loved by scouts at the club - but couldn't pen a deal at Old Trafford due to Brexit regulations.

Under current Fifa rules, players aged under 18 cannot be sold overseas - except those within the European Economic Area.

As such, the midfielder stayed in Sweden where he starred first for IF Brommapojkarna and then Djurgarden.

Once the wonderkid turned 18, Barcelona came knocking - but it was Spurs who sealed his signature.

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Learning Bergvall was once within United's grasp, one fan wrote on X: "Shows the administrative failure that the club did not keep relations open with the player and his reps so as to be able to bring him to United once he turned 18."

Referencing the optimism following Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool, another said with a crying emoji: "Liverpool purple patch over."

While a third added, captioning a snap of Bergvall in United colours: "[His goal] this evening is proof that karma exists."

And a fourth said: "Once a red, always a red."

Bergvall smashed Spurs into a late lead on Wednesday night after putting in a tireless performance.

But Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk was fuming the Swede hadn't been red carded moments before.

The 18-year-old - already on a yellow - leapt into a tackle and wiped out Kostas Tsimikas.

Referee Stuart Atwell played advantage but didn't return to book the teenager, while Tsimikas had to leave the pitch for treatment, temporarily reducing Liverpool to ten men.

Just minutes later, Bergvall swept in a Dominic Solanke cross to secure a crucial first-leg advantage for Tottenham.

A frustrated Van Dijk said post-match: "It was quite obvious there was going to be a second yellow, it was pretty clear.

"Then a minute later he scores the winner.

"The ref made a mistake and I told him that. It was quite obvious and everyone on the sideline knew it was a yellow.

"He should have been off. There is a linesman, fourth official, VAR and referee and he doesn’t get a second yellow.

"I’m not saying it is the reason why we lost but it was a big moment."