Sadio Mane revealed how close he came to Man Utd transfer before Liverpool U-turn

Manchester United supporters might feel a twinge of regret every time Sadio Mane's name pops up in transfer talks. The Liverpool icon represents another 'missed opportunity' for the Red Devils.

After impressing with his dynamic performances for Southampton, Mane seemed destined for Old Trafford in 2016.

United were confident they had secured the deal, but a phone call from Jurgen Klopp completely disrupted their transfer strategy. Instead, Mane, who now shares the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, opted for Liverpool in a $47m deal.

Jose Mourinho ended up signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during that transfer window, which also saw them acquire Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba. Given Mane's subsequent success at Liverpool, United fans may still be seething over their failure to secure the Senegalese international.

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During his six-year stint at Anfield , Mane clinched the Premier League , Champions League , FA Cup, League Cup, and Club World Cup titles. Even he confessed that he was on track to join United before Klopp intervened.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph , Mane revealed: "I have to say, I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there. I had it all agreed. It was all ready, but instead, I thought, 'No, I want to go to Liverpool.'".

"I was convinced to go with (Jurgen) Klopp's project. I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp. He said, 'We have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be part of it'."

"Then he asked what position I wanted because he could see at Southampton I played on the right side and I used to play on the left. I said I prefer left, and then he said, 'But (Philippe) Coutinho is on the left! ' So I said, never mind, I will play on the right. I could see myself in all the positions."

In the summer of 2022, Mane left the club to join Bayern Munich. He was thrust into centre-forward with the expectation of filling the enormous void left by Robert Lewandowski.

While he did win the Bundesliga, his one year in Germany was forgetful and disappointing, particularly with the reputation he carved out for himself at Anfield.

After less than a season, he was linked with a return to Liverpool, who endured a disappointing fifth-placed Premier League finish. Mane's replacement Darwin Nunez was also enduring similar struggles to Mane after arriving from Benfica.

A move for Mane did not happen and the Senegalese star went East to join Al Nassr. Yet the rumour mill around Mane's future in the Middle East has been spinning again.

Sadio Mane's agent, Bjorn Bezemer, has quashed rumors of the star's potential moves to Liverpool or a nostalgic return to RB Salzburg. Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, Bezemer made it clear: "I did not have any meeting with clubs regarding Sadio," and added, "He is preparing the season with Al Nassr and has absolutely no intention to leave. His club is extremely happy with him."

Salzburg, now under the guidance of Pep Lijnders, Klopp's trusted former deputy at Liverpool, might hold sentimental value for Mane, who has previously expressed his affection for the Austrian city. Recalling his time there, Mane remarked: "I love the club and the city. I met great people there in a great club. As a human being, I learned a lot."

Ahead of a Champions League clash in 2019, Mane reminisced about his former team: "Of course, it's a special game for me. I was playing there for two-and-a-half years and now I'm going to play against them. They will be ready for me and I will be ready for them as well. I will be really happy to meet my ex-team-mates. But at the same time, I would love to win against them! ".