Sadio Mane, a prominent footballer, once turned down a move to Manchester United when leaving Southampton. Instead, he chose Liverpool, where he significantly contributed to their success under Jurgen
Klopp. Mane joined Liverpool in 2016 for £36 million and scored 120 goals in 269 matches. His efforts helped the team secure the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Champions League during his six-year tenure.
Despite his eventual success at Liverpool, Mane could have ended up at Manchester United. "Manchester United called me that time," Mane said, as quoted by ESPN. He was in discussions with Louis van Gaal and noted that players like Wayne Rooney, Angel Di Maria, and Memphis Depay were already part of the squad. When they couldn't sign him, United opted for Anthony Martial instead.
Mane explained his decision to reject United was due to concerns about playing time. Van Gaal had reached out personally, saying, "Mane, how are you? What are you doing?" He expressed interest in bringing Mane to Manchester United. However, Mane questioned his potential role given the presence of established players like Depay and Rooney.
Van Gaal assured him of opportunities if he performed well in training. Yet Mane wasn't convinced by this explanation. He felt he needed more development time and support before making such a move. At that stage in his career at Southampton, consistency was still an issue for him.
Before joining Liverpool, Tottenham also showed interest in signing Mane. Mauricio Pochettino contacted his agent and invited him to visit Tottenham's training ground. After meeting with Pochettino and seeing the facilities, Mane found Tottenham's project more convincing than Manchester United's due to fewer big-name players.
8 - Sadio Mané scored at least 10 goals in all eight of his Premier League campaigns; it's the most seasons a player has played in the competition while reaching double figures each time. Departure.pic.twitter.com/s6lso9xHXWOptaJoe (@OptaJoe)June 22, 2022
Mane's career decisions reflect careful consideration of opportunities for growth and playing time. His choice to join Liverpool proved fruitful as he became a key player in their successes over several years. Now at Al-Nassr, Mane continues to build on his impressive football journey.
