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Jurgen Klopp embraces Sadio Mane after the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on May 04, 2019(Image: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Sadio Mane's move away from Liverpool hasn't panned out quite as he would've liked.

He also had a dressing room altercation with team-mate Leroy Sane.

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It came as no surprise then when Mane, who turns 33 today, followed the influx of high-profile moving to Saudi Arabia, joining Al Nassr in August 2023.

In contrast to Bayern supporters, Kopites waved off the forward with a heavy heart, having seen him score 120 goals during his six seasons at Liverpool.

With Mohamed Salah joining the following year, Jurgen Klopp put together the best frontline in Europe that conquered all before them.

Mane was actually Klopp’s first marquee signing as Reds boss - and the German's desire to sign him from the Saints stemmed from a previous transfer misfire.

Having tracked Mane’s progress since an impressive showing in the 2012 London Olympics, Klopp has first considered signing Mane when Borussia Dortmund manager and even held talks with the then RB Salzburg player over a possible move to the Westfalenstadion in 2014.

However, Klopp decided Mane wasn’t for him before swiftly realising he had made a dreadful error.

“I made a mistake,” said Klopp.

He would have been more expensive if we had taken him to Dortmund and then he had been sold to Liverpool, so all good for Liverpool.

Nice!”

Dortmund’s loss was the Reds' gain as Klopp made sure he got his man in 2016, even stealing him from under the noses of Manchester United in the process.

“I have to say I was really close to going to Manchester United,” Mane admitted in an interview with the Telegraph when recalling his decision to join Liverpool.

And I said, 'okay, Dortmund is behind us, let’s focus on the future'.”

Eight years on from his failed move to Dortmund, Mane belatedly got a transfer to the Bundesliga, but only after enjoying his peak years at Liverpool under Klopp.

A version of this article was first published in June 2022.


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