Sadio Mané Reveals Manchester United Talks, Ultimately Chose Liverpool After Klopp’s Call
Senegalese forward Sadio Mané nearly took a different path in the Premier League, revealing he held discussions with both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur before ultimately committing to Liverpool. The revelation came during an appearance on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast.
while at Southampton, Mané received a call from then-Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal. “Van Gaal called me and asked me how things were going. He said he wanted me to come to Manchester United,” Mané recounted. However, the attacker was unconvinced by Van Gaal’s plan for his role. “I said they already had Depay, Rooney, Di María and Van Persie, so I asked him where I would play. Because I wanted to get minutes.He said he knew I had talent and was good and that I would play if I did well in training, but there were other good players.I was not convinced by his explanation.”
Mané also engaged in talks with Tottenham, expressing he was “more convinced” by manager Mauricio Pochettino than he had been by Van Gaal. He informed Pochettino he’d join if terms could be agreed with his agent. Though, before a deal could materialize, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp entered the picture.
“A few days later I got a call from Jurgen Klopp. But I wasn’t ready for it yet. I still needed one or two years to get where I wanted to go,” Mané admitted. Shortly after, Klopp followed up, prompting Mané to decisively choose the Reds. “Then I said: ‘This is my club, this is what I want. I’m giving you my nod.'”
Mané went on to spend six successful years at Liverpool before moving to Bayern Munich in 2022, and currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.The 33-year-old remains a key player for the Saudi club.