Sadio Mane's arrival from Southampton was regarded as a promising but slightly overpriced deal for the Liverpool. Oh, how wrong the naysayers were.
The Senegal international formed a fearsome front three alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, scoring 120 times for the Reds to complete a clean sweep of trophies. Mane won the 2018/19 Premier League Golden Boot and was named African Footballer of the Year twice during his Liverpool career. He was also a manager’s dream with deft technique, vision, a selfless work ethic combined with incredible fitness levels, and a wide array of stunning goals over the years to delight The Kop.
It is hard to imagine the Senegalese forward’s name feel more at home in any other accent than that of a born-and-bred Scouser. We’ve heard that some fans don’t do ifs, buts or maybes, but it’s an absolute that Mane has made his mark on Anfield.
Anfield is not short of big names and fan-favourite icons in recent memory. Salah grabs headlines, Trent Alexander-Arnold is always one to watch and Alisson’s match-saving contributions have consistently drawn praise. It’s easy to overlook Mane when listing Liverpool’s greats, but the gaping hole the winger left in the team is more and more obvious with each passing week.
The Reds' uncharacteristically quiet start to the 22/23 season indicates Jurgen Klopp could have done with keeping Mane in his stable. But the choice to bring in new talent like Darwin Nunez was made, ending Mane’s six-year spell at Liverpool. And what a spell Mane had, binding Liverpool’s attacking options together into a cohesive threat that could score from anywhere in the opposition's half.
Liverpool’s predatory options up front ensured that Klopp's tactics never lacked a clinical conclusion, leaving defenders pulling at their hair and managers baffled. Mane’s dependable presence complemented the flashier Salah and Firmino; a consummate professional who was always there to create opportunities and strike devastating blows against vulnerable backlines.
Mane caught the eye of Liverpool’s staff after his barn-storming performance with Southampton, where he scored 25 goals and 14 assists in two seasons. Most memorable is Mane’s record-breaking hat-trick against Aston Villa in 2015, which he accomplished in less than three minutes as he led the Saints to a 6-1 victory.
The attraction of a capable and confident rising star that had already been blooded in the Premier League was too tempting to ignore, as Klopp sealed a £35m deal with Mane in June of 2016’s summer transfer window - and the rest is history.
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