Last summer, Sadio Mané departed Liverpool as a hero. With the backing of the Liverpool supporters and their best wishes, he set out for Bayern Munich to face a new challenge.
Neither party has benefited much from the relocation. This season, Liverpool’s performance has drastically decreased. That seems fortunate, though, in comparison to Mané’s circumstances in Germany. The Senegalese skipper has lost his starting spot in the squad following a subpar season.
Things escalated into a fight in the locker room following a crushing Champions League loss to Manchester City in midweek, which also happened to be the same day that one of Mané’s family members passed away back home. After taking offense at the way his teammate Leroy Sané had spoken to him, Mané ended up hitting Sané.
In the end, the club fined Mané and suspended him for one game in official capacity. The club is apparently considering moving the player this summer in an attempt to recoup some of his £27 million price tag, thus the unofficial “ban” might last eternally.
Rumor has it that Mané is now considering going back to his old team and his glory days. The question now becomes whether Liverpool thinks it would be worthwhile to reinvest in the 31-year-old winger given how poorly the Reds are doing and their apparent plans to make some summer transfer acquisitions.
Although it wouldn’t be the first time Liverpool has notably signed a player whose violent outburst resulted in a ban at his previous club (hello, Luis Suarez), it doesn’t appear likely to happen this time.
Liverpool must prioritize improving their midfield. They have several of options in Mané’s favored wing position when healthy. This choice would also take his age into consideration. Mané became a household name thanks to his skill and inventiveness on and off the field. His speed, which is one of his greatest attributes and a must for the front three under Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp’s fast-paced style of play, is probably going to start to decline with age.
Furthermore, when Gini Wijnaldum struggled at PSG after leaving Liverpool, similar unfounded rumors also circulated about him.
However, as the resident Sadio Mané fan on TLO, I can’t help but have stars in my eyes when I picture his victorious comeback.
How do you feel? If you could, would you take Mané back? Would it be worthwhile to have him on the wing as an additional option?
