‘I used to be near Man Utd switch however rejected them to win all of it with Liverpool’
Sadio Mane was on the cusp of joining Manchester United when he was at Southampton, only for Jurgen Klopp to persuade him to head to Liverpool instead
Liverpool legend Sadio Mane was on the brink of signing for Manchester United before choosing to play for their bitter rivals under Jurgen Klopp instead.
The Senegalese forward, who made a name for himself at Southampton by scoring the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history against Aston Villa in 2015, had a host of clubs vying for his signature in 2016.
However, he chose Liverpool, where he formed an unstoppable trio with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, leading the team to Champions League and Premier League glory under Klopp.
But as the 32-year-old revealed, he could have ended up at Old Trafford if it wasn’t for his preference for Klopp over then-United manager Louis van Gaal.
“I was really, really close [to a move to Man Utd] because I even met up with them,” Mane confessed in 2019. “So I was coming, I was there, and I spoke with the boss who was there before [Van Gaal].”
“They made an offer, but in the same week, Klopp called me. He said: ‘I think it’s the right club. The right coach for you, and I think it’s better that you go to Liverpool’. For me I think it was the right time as well. I said, ‘I am going to Liverpool.'”
Mane, who clinched six trophies with Liverpool, reflected on his cherished years at Anfield after leaving Merseyside in 2022 for a stint at Bayern Munich and then joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, reports the Mirror.
He confided to Liverpool’s club website when leaving that his Anfield journey was invaluable. Mane said: “Obviously, it is strange really, really strange to no longer be a Liverpool player after six years spent at Anfield.
“But of course, I had a great time, an unbelievable time, and since my first day, I really, really enjoyed training and playing at Anfield, especially in front of these amazing supporters.
“From the first day, I came to the club, I spoke to the boss when I was in Southampton, and I think at that time, we were not even in the Champions League.”
He reminisced about how Klopp’s call swayed him immediately, adding: “He called me, and I said, ‘For sure.’ I just decided in my heart that I am coming to Liverpool because that is where I see myself, and for me, it was the right time and the right club to achieve everything. So, I can say, of course, we won a lot, and I had a great, great time there.”
