Sadio Mane's Man Utd agreement, Liverpool reunion claims and response from agent

Sadio Mane has a history of tormenting Manchester United on the pitch and in the transfer window. In 2016, Jose Mourinho thought he had secured the Senegalese star’s signature in what would have been a huge transfer for the Portuguese boss’ first season at Old Trafford.

Yet, Mane snubbed the Red Devils at the last minute, after Jurgen Klopp phoned him and delivered an effective charm offensive. Instead, United fans had to watch Mane ascend to legendary status with Liverpool while their alternative targets failed to match the former Southampton forward’s impressive records.

For most United fans, Mane will always be seen as the one that got away. A few years later, Mane rubbed salt in the wounds of United fans when he explained how close he was to swapping Southampton for the Red Devils.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mane said: “I have to say, I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there. I had it all agreed. It was all ready.

“Instead, I thought, ‘No, I want to go to Liverpool’. I was convinced to go with (Jurgen) Klopp’s project.

“I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp. He said, ‘We have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be part of it’. Then he asked what position I wanted because he could see at Southampton I played on the right side and I used to play on the left.

“I said I prefer left, and then he said, ‘But (Philippe) Coutinho is on the left!’ So I said, never mind, I will play on the right. I could see myself in all the positions.”

Mourinho had to settle for then-Borussia Dortmund ace Henrikh Mkhitaryan. While the Armenian arrived with a huge reputation, he did not come close to being as effective for United as Mane was for Liverpool.

Mane would go on to win the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Club World Cup. Fast-forward to today, and Mane’s career has taken another twist. After a brief stint at Bayern Munich, he joined Al Nassr last summer, where he now plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has been linked with a return to RB Salzburg, where Mane’s European journey began before his move to Southampton. Yet, his agent Bjorn Bezemer dismissed such talks when he was asked about them.

Speaking to Fabrizio Romano, Bezemer said: “I did not have any meeting with clubs regarding Sadio,” adding, “He is preparing the season with Al Nassr and has absolutely no intention to leave. His club is extremely happy with him.”