Sadio Mane’s name will cause Manchester United fans to twirl during the transfer window.
Mane appeared destined for a transfer to Old Trafford in 2016 after impressing Premier League fans with his explosive performances at Southampton.
Jurgen Klopp’s phone conversation caused United’s transfer plans to fall apart, even though they believed the transaction was finalised. Mane chose to join Liverpool in a £36 million move, but he is now playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
Jose Mourinho went on to sign Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after acquiring Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba during a transfer window. Mane’s subsequent achievements for Liverpool may have left United supporters resentful of their inability to sign the Senegalese international.
Mane won the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Club World Cup, the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup during his six years at Anfield. However, even he acknowledged that, prior to the Klopp barrier, his route was taking him to United.
Mane was once close to joining United
Mane stated in an interview with the Daily Telegraph: “I have to say, I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there. I had it all agreed. It was all ready, but instead, I thought, ‘No, I want to go to Liverpool.”
“I was convinced to go with (Jurgen) Klopp’s project. I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp. He said, ‘We have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be part of it”.
“Then he asked what position I wanted because he could see at Southampton I played on the right side and I used to play on the left. I said I prefer left, and then he said, ‘But (Philippe) Coutinho is on the left!’ So I said, never mind, I will play on the right. I could see myself in all the positions.”
Mane tore up Liverpool fans’ hearts in the summer of 2022 when he left the team to join Bayern Munich. The idea was that he would fill the massive hole left by Robert Lewandowski at centre forward. Despite winning the Bundesliga, his one-year stay in Germany was forgettable and unsatisfactory, especially considering the reputation he built at Anfield.
Less than a season later, he was linked to a return to Liverpool, who had a dismal Premier League campaign that ended in fifth place. Darwin Nunez, Mane’s successor who cost almost £85 million, was also having similar difficulties.
Mane’s transfer fell through, and the Senegalese player moved to the East to join Al Nassr. In tax-free Saudi Arabia, he is reputedly earning almost £34 million a season there. However, speculation regarding Mane’s potential relocation from the Middle East has resumed.
Both Liverpool and RB Salzburg, the team he played for before moving to Southampton in 2014, have been mentioned in relation to him. However, Bjorn Bezemer, Mane’s representative, shot off any romantic reunions, stating that Mane will stay in the Middle East.
“I did not have any meeting with clubs regarding Sadio,” Bezemer told Fabrizio Romano. “He is preparing the season with Al Nassr and has absolutely no intention to leave. His club is extremely happy with him.”
Pep Lijnders, who served as Klopp’s assistant manager at Liverpool, is currently in charge of Salzburg. Mane has also expressed how much he cherished Salzburg when he was playing there.
Before Liverpool took on Salzburg in the 2019 Champions League, he responded to a question about the city and the team by saying, “I love Salzburg.” It was a terrific club where I met great individuals. As a person, I gained a lot of knowledge”.
“Of course, it’s a special game for me. I was playing there for two-and-a-half years and now I’m going to play against them. They will be ready for me and I will be ready for them as well. I will be really happy to meet my ex-team-mates. But at the same time, I would love to win against them!”
