Some Liverpool fans won’t know that Jurgen Klopp was on the cusp of signing Sadio Mane for Borussia Dortmund, before pulling out of a deal and allowing Southampton to finalise his transfer instead.
In 2014, the Senegalese flyer was at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, on the back of a second consecutive season in which he’d scored 20 goals.
That same summer, BVB acquired Kevin Kampl, Ciro Immobile and Adrian Ramos in what was a very underwhelming window – and Klopp proceeded to endure the worst season of all his seven years at the helm.
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Mane bagged ten during his first season at Southampton and 15 the next, and is on course to beat that total for us – sitting on 12 so far with ten games remaining.
The 24-year-old doesn’t hold a grudge against his former manager for cancelling a deal, a decision Klopp’s since stated made him ‘want to punch’ himself.
Mane told Liverpoolfc.com: “I remember everything about it because it was a meeting to talk about football and how he wanted to play and how he wanted me to be part of his team.
“I think it’s part of football that these things can happen. After that I never stopped working like I did before. I gave my best all the time and finally, we work together.
“We didn’t speak about what happened before because we know it’s part of football and it can happen. It wasn’t his fault or my fault or the clubs’ fault.
“When he called me to come here, it was the right time, the right coach and the right time to come to Liverpool. Now I’m here I’m very happy to be part of this amazing club.