Sadio Mane rejected Manchester United because of Van Gaal, chose Liverpool later

Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal had recently shared a list of players he tried to sign during his time with the club. The Dutchman, who was dismissed after winning the FA Cup in 2015-16 revealed that one of the players he had tried to sign was Sadio Mane, who now plies his trade at Liverpool. Since making the move from Southampton to Liverpool in 2016, Sadio Mane has been one of the club’s most consistent performers. However, ESPN has now reported that it was Sadio Mane who rejected Manchester United’s advances, with Van Gaal the reason behind it.

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Van Gaal behind Sadio Mane’s Manchester United rejection

During his interview with FourFourTwo, Louis van Gaal suggested that it was Manchester United who failed to sign players on his wish list. However, ESPN mentioned that it was the other way around in this case. According to the publication, it was Sadio Mane who eventually rejected the chance to join Manchester United. The reason behind Sadio Mane’s decision was reported to be the Senegalese forward’s reluctance to be part of Van Gaal’s restrictive tactics and the coach’s reported habit of failing to encourage his flair players. During Van Gaal’s tenure at Manchester United, several fans and pundits blamed the side for playing dull, unattractive football. Notably, Van Gaal’s Manchester United side once went 11 matches without scoring a goal at home in the first half.

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Sadio Mane's eventual move to Liverpool

While the winger rejected Manchester United’s offer, he soon made the move to Merseyside. Mane moved to Liverpool in 2016 and has talked about the role Jurgen Klopp played in his decision in the past as well. On being asked by Robbie Fowler on the Manchester United links, Sadio Mane admitted that he was indeed negotiating with the club and had even met with them. However, while referring to Manchester United, the speedy winger claimed that it was not the ‘right club’ for him. Later, Mane went on to discuss how Jurgen Klopp called him and convinced him to join Liverpool. Sharing details of the conversation with Jurgen Klopp, Sadio Mane revealed that his talk with the manager made him realise that Liverpool was the right fit for him.

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Since coming to Liverpool on a £34 million deal in 2016, Sadio Mane has flourished under Jurgen Klopp’s high intensity, quick playing style. During his time at the club, Mane has won both the Champions League and the Premier League amongst other accolades and was also crowned the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award for 2019-20. Mane has scored 81 goals and registered 34 assists in 170 appearances for the club and is part of an attacking trident that has already scored over 250 goals for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.

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Image Courtesy: AP