When Sadio Mane left Southampton in 2016, he revealed that he was very close to joining Manchester United but decided against it after receiving a call from Jurgen Klopp.
Before starting his illustrious career at Anfield, Sadio Mane came very close to joining Manchester United. The Senegalese forward first developed his skills in the Premier League while playing for Southampton, where he scored the fastest hat-trick in the English top flight in 2015 against Aston Villa, taking just two minutes and 56 seconds. This put Mane firmly on the radar of many elite clubs, and as one of the hottest properties in the 2016 transfer market, he had to choose between several suitors. Naturally, Liverpool was the next team the 32-year-old decided to call home, and he became a vital member of the Reds’ formidable frontline alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
The goal-machine won multiple championships under the leadership of former manager Jurgen Klopp, including the coveted Premier League and Champions League trophies. However, Mane revealed in a previous interview that he could have moved to Old Trafford instead, if his career had gone a different path.
In 2019, he stated: “I was really, really close [to a move to Man Utd] because I even met up with them. So I was coming, I was there, and I spoke with the boss who was there before [Louis Van Gaal].” They made an offer, but Klopp called me that same week and said, “I think it’s the right club. The right coach for you, and I think it’s better that you go to Liverpool.” I also believe it was the right time, and I declared, “I am going to Liverpool.”
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