Sadio Mane reveals Manchester United snub but boss had wrong feeling about the forward
Sadio Mane has revealed a secrete story of his initial attempt of ‘thinking about Manchester United’ in an attempt to play his football at Old Trafford but later swerved the Reds.
He has revealed that he and his agent were most thinking about a move to Manchester United but the Senegalese forward joined rivals Liverpool later on after completing a £34million transfer from Southampton in 2016.
Asked if he had been expecting the interest from Liverpool, 27-year-old Mane told the Times: “Not really.
“We were thinking most about Manchester United. That was a tough time for me as I was on the bench so I was not thinking about anyone calling me, but I was pleased he [Klopp] did and was not thinking I was a rapper.”
Mane has been one of Liverpool’s best players in his four period at Anfield winning the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and near lifting the EPL title for Liverpool.
He has netted 77 goals in 181 appearances across all competitions under Jurgen Klopp- who brought Mane to Liverpool just a year after becoming Anfield boss.
However, the German coach has admitted he had a wrong feeling about the Senegalese International after assuming Mane was a rapper during when his then side Dortmund met Red Bull Salzburg where Mane initially played.
When speaking in the new Rakuten TV documentary Sadio Mane – Made in Senegal, this is what Klopp said.
“I remember my first encounter with Sadio. It was in Dortmund”, Klopp Rakuten TV via TalkSPORTS.
“There was a really young guy sitting there. His baseball cap was askew, the blond streak he still has today.
“He looked like a rapper just starting out. I thought, ‘I don’t have time for this’. Our team back then really wasn’t bad.
“I needed someone who could handle not being a starter at the very beginning, someone I could develop.
“I’d say I have a pretty good feeling for people, but was I wrong! I followed his further career and continued success at Salzburg. In Southampton he just dominated.”
