The Senegal forward admitted that he almost officially went to Old Trafford before Jurgen Klopp intervened and invited him to join the Reds
Sadio Mane revealed he had agreed a contract with Manchester United before finally changing his mind in 2016. He ‘forgave’ Jurgen Klopp for not signing him before while still managing Borussia Dortmund, and eventually moving to Liverpool.
The Senegal national team striker has become a hot asset after proving his skills in the English Premier League at Southampton.
Manchester United thought they had won the competition for Mane’s signature in Jose Mourinho’s first season as manager, but Klopp managed to convince the player that Anfield was the better choice.
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Is Mane close to Manchester United?
Mane, whose contract with Liverpool expires next year, told The Telegraph how he almost joined their arch-rivals: “I have to say, I was very close to joining Manchester United. He already has a contract.”
“I agreed, everything was ready. But, instead, I thought, ‘No, I want to go to Liverpool’. I have faith in Klopp’s project. I still remember the first time Klopp called me.”
“I was watching TV. Action movies – because I love movies – and he said, ‘Sadio, listen, I want to explain to you what happened at Dortmund’. He talked about when he wanted to buy me at Dortmund but somehow failed. materialized.”
“He tried to explain and I said, ‘No problem, it happens’. I forgave him. Then he said, ‘now I want you at Liverpool’. I said, ‘OK, Dortmund is in the past, let’s focus on the future’. “
“He said, ‘We have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be a part of it’. Then he asked me what position I wanted, because he saw at Southampton I played on the right, whereas I used to play on the left.”
“I said I prefer to play on the left, and he replied, ‘but there’s Coutinho on the left!’ So I replied, it’s okay, I’ll play on the right. I can see myself in all positions.”
Did Mane make the right decision?
Mourinho did win the Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League in his first season at Man United, but since the last five years The Red Devils haven’t won anything yet.
On the other hand, Liverpool have earned a reputation as the most terrible team in the football scene, with Mane contributing significantly to an era of revival The Reds.
