Liverpool news: Sadio Mane reveals why he snubbed Manchester United - 'Where am I going to play?'

A Liverpool legend, Sadio Mane could have had a completely different career. The Senegalese winger revealed he had the opportunity to join Manchester United but refused for a very specific reason.

Trained at FC Metz, Mane is one of the Grenats' great prides. After a spell in Austria at Red Bull Salzburg, then his breakthrough at Southampton in the Premier League, the Senegalese was highly courted during the summer 2016 transfer window. Whilst he joined Liverpool for €36m (£1m), he hesitated with Manchester United, who were doing everything to convince him to play at Old Trafford.

On a podcast with Rio Ferdinand, Mane explained why he refused to sign for Manchester United. At that time, Louis van Gaal was the manager and already had a plethoric squad in the attacking sector. Fearing he would not have adequate playing time, Mane put his trust in Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, where he became a true legend.

© Imago / ANP

Sadio Mane reflects on the defining decision of his career

"When Manchester United called me, I was speaking with Louis van Gaal. Wayne Rooney was there. Angel Di Maria was there. And Memphis Depay was there. I said: 'OK, so my question: you have Depay, you have Rooney, you have Di Maria, you have Van Persie. So where am I going to play?' That was my question, because me, I want to play. When they failed to recruit me, they bought Anthony Martial," explained the 33-year-old on the Rio Meets podcast.

This choice proved to be the right one for Mane, as Manchester United experienced a very difficult decade, whilst Liverpool amassed all the prestigious trophies, including the Champions League and the Premier League. The Senegalese striker even finished second in the 2022 Ballon d'Or. Now at Al-Nassr, Mane surely does not regret the most important decision of his career.

This article was originally published on Top Mercato.