Senegal forward Sadio Mane has disclosed that he opted to join Liverpool instead of Manchester United due to the greater assurance of regular playing time.
The winger joined the Reds in a £36 million deal from Southampton in 2016, one year after turning down an offer from the-then Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal.
The 33-year-old spent six seasons at Anfield before departing in 2022 for Bayern Munich, and now features in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr.
“Manchester United called me that time, I was talking to Van Gaal”, Mane revealed during a podcast session with Rio Ferdinand.
“I was talking to Van Gaal that time. Rooney was there. And Di María was there. And … and [Memphis] Depay was there. When they failed to get me, they bought [Anthony] Martial.
“Van Gaal called me and he said, ‘Mané, how are you? What are you doing?’ He said, “I want you to come to Manchester United.”
“I said, ‘Really?’ He said, “‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘OK. Now I’m talking to my agent”, Mane added.
Mane went on to achieve great success at Liverpool, where he scored 120 times from 269 appearances.
He also won multiple trophies, including the English Premier League in 2019-20 and the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19.
The Senegal winger also won numerous individual achievements including the EPL golden boot for 2018-19.
“[Van Gaal said] ‘We’ll see what is the best, because I know you’re a good player and you can help the team, and we can help you also to become better players”, the 33-year-old continued.
“And then I said, ‘OK, so my question: you have Depay, you have Rooney, you have Di María, you have Van Persie, I think the same. ‘So where am I going to play?’ That was my question, because me, I want to play.
“He said, ‘I know your talent, you’re good. But if you do good training, good impression, you will play. But we have another player which is also good.’
“I was not convinced about his explanation. I talked to the coach, but he told me that I will play if I’m good; if not …
“But at the time, me, I was not ready, I can say. I was young. I still needed someone to help me more. And one or two more years to become what I want to be.
“Because I was still in Southampton; I was not consistent. And then we said, ‘OK, we’ll see.”
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
