Mane’s Reds exit was bad for everyone

IT was at Liverpool’s Champions League media day at Kirkby in 2022 that Sadio Mane first hinted he may leave Anfield.

It felt bad at the time and it feels worse now. Indeed it feels now a little bit like a sliding doors moment, for him and for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s team — for all there is to marvel at the way he has reconstructed their attack — have never been quite as deadly without Mane while the player’s own career has dropped him off the charts. The move he was granted was to Bayern Munich and turned out to be a disaster. Now, having only just turned 32, he is marooned in the Saudi Pro League. It’s a great shame, for him and for Liverpool. Mo Salah attracted most of the attention as Liverpool terrorised the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City at Anfield during Klopp’s golden years at the club. But ask those who played against Liverpool and they will tell you of the constant, monotonous, draining threat of the Senegal forward who would tear holes in defences with directness, speed and intelligence. Mane — unlike Salah back then — understood the value of an assist and there were many. He scored, too, and there was just about one goal every other game he started over six seasons. It is hard not to think of this now as Liverpool start to fail in front of goal, as we watch Darwin Nunez strike a fallow patch and even Salah struggle for form. Mane was one of those transfers that everybody — player, manager, fanbase — has cause to regret. Sometimes it just happens that way.