Senegal international winger Sadio Mane says he rejected a move to Manchester United before ultimately signing to join Liverpool FC.
Mane joined Liverpool for $47 million in 2015 from Southampton and went on to form an unstoppable scoring force with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. He won the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League at Anfield.
However, in an interview with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, Mane confessed that the lack of a clear path to regular playing time under then manager Louis Van Gaal due to the presence of Wayne Rooney, Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay, influenced his decision to pick Liverpool over the Red Devils.
“Manchester United called me that time. I was talking to Van Gaal.”
“I was talking to Van Gaal that time. Rooney was there. And Di María was there…and [Memphis] Depay was there.”
“When they failed to get me, they bought [Anthony] Martial. 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” Sadio Mane said.
Mane played for Bayern Munich for a season after leaving Liverpool before joining Saudi Arabia league side Al-Nassr.
