Liverpool star Sadio Mane has revealed that he was thinking about Manchester United before manager Jurgen Klopp lured him to the Merseyside giants.
The Senegal international made the move from Southampton to Anfield during the summer of 2016 and he has since been a consistent performer for the Reds with 77 goals and 34 assists from 161 appearances across all competitions.
Earlier last year, Mane confirmed that he had been in contact with ex-United boss Louis van Gaal prior to joining the Reds and he has now revealed that Red Devils were on his mind at a time when he was struggling to cement a starting place with the Saints.
The 27-year-old added that he was pleased that Klopp made the move to land his signature, having previously ignored to sign him for Borussia Dortmund. The German felt that Mane looked more like a rapper than a footballer when he was playing for Red Bull Salzburg.
“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 [Jurgen Klopp] did and was not thinking I was a rapper,” Mane told The Times.
Mane has contributed 18 goals and 12 assists for the Reds this season and the majority of that contribution (14 goals and nine assists) has come in the Premier League, where the club require a maximum of six points from the next nine games to be crowned as the English champions for the first time in three decades.
The current campaign has been brought to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. No suitable date has been mentioned for the restart but Liverpool fans will be hoping that the season resumes at some point such that the club can get their hands on their maiden Premier League title.
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