'I agreed terms with Man Utd - but snubbed them last minute to join Liverpool' Sadio Mane was close to joining Manchester United before opting for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool – where he became a club icon.
Anfield would be his chosen destination, where he formed an incredible front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, and helped spearhead the charge for both a Champions League and Premier League title - among other trophies - under the now-departed Klopp.
Having carved out a promising early Premier League career with Southampton – in which he achieved the league’s fastest ever hat-trick during a 2015 clash against Aston Villa – the Senegalese forward was in demand and had suitors lining up for him in 2016.
Yet, things could have panned out very differently, as the 32-year-old has since revealed that he could have called Old Trafford home were it not for preferring the German to then-Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal.
“I was really, really close [to a move to Man Utd] because I even met up with them,” Mane stated in 2019.
