Al-Nassr star Sadio Mané has revealed that he declined an offer from Manchester United in 2016 due to the abundance of attacking talent at the Premier League club under then-manager Louis van Gaal.
The Senegalese forward went on to become a Liverpool legend, scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances across six years before joining Bayern Munich in 2022.
Speaking with ESPN, Mané recalled the pivotal moment when Manchester United nearly secured his signature from Southampton, only for Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp to intervene and ultimately win his commitment.
Mané explained his concerns during discussions with van Gaal: “Manchester United called me that time, I was talking to Van Gaal. Rooney was there. And Di María was there. And… Depay was there. When they failed to get me, they bought Martial. Van Gaal called me and he said, ‘Mané, how are you? What are you doing? I want you to come to Manchester United.’ I said, ‘Really?’”
His main hesitation, Mané said, was about playing time: “OK, so you have Depay, you have Rooney, you have Di María, you have Van Persie… So where am I going to play? That was my question, because I want to play.”
Although van Gaal assured him that strong performances in training would earn him a place in the squad, Mané admitted he was unconvinced: “I was not ready. I still needed someone to help me more, and one or two more years to become what I want to be. I was still in Southampton; I was not consistent.”
Ultimately, Mané chose Liverpool, a decision that paved the way for his emergence as a Premier League icon and global football star.
