Liverpool’s succession plans to replace the three players who have led Jurgen Klopp’s squad in the previous three transfer windows have been proven.
Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have starred in the club’s 2019 Champions League win, the 2020 historic Premier League win and other trophy wins in between. It has been a pillar of recent success.
The trident so efficient and ruthless has come down over the years and has often been heralded as a team in their prime, if not the best attacking combination in European football.
But there comes a time when the trio starts to break up, and the signings of Diogo Jota in the summer of 2020 and Luis Diaz in January 2022 have helped accelerate the process.
Firmino is no longer a guaranteed starter, and speculation regarding the future of Salah and Mane has been around for a while, each with one year on contract.
For a while it seemed Salah was the most likely to leave, but Liverpool appear to be more open to new challenges elsewhere as they suffered a painful loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final. .
Reportedly, Bayern Munich are keen to make a precise offer to Mane in order to make him the new striker alongside Barcelona-minded Robert Lewandowski.
Speaking frankly while on an international mission in Senegal, Mane did not exactly ignore rumors of an impending departure.
“Like everyone else, I see comments on social media. Isn’t it 60-70% of Senegalese that I want to leave Liverpool?” Man said at a press conference.
“We will do what they want. We’ll see you soon! We’ll see you together, so don’t rush.”
Mane’s manifesto sounds like a 2022 reboot of Harry Kane’s “Ultimately up to me” comment last summer.
As much as he and many Senegalese want him to replace Anfield with Allianz, he has a contract with Liverpool, negotiating position with Tottenham with Kane.
The influence created by Jota and Diaz confirmed that Mane’s transfer prospects are not as unpleasant as before.
Jota has achieved tremendous success since joining Wolverhampton for £40m last season, scoring 34 goals in 85 appearances, including 15 in the Premier League. Diaz was equally effective following a £50m move from Porto, establishing himself as a regular in the big games during Liverpool’s run-in.
Now with Salah expected to stay next season, Firmino returning to full health, and the exciting Fabio Carvalho being added from Fulham, Klopp is running out of attack options heading into the new campaign.
However, as Jota and Diaz have adapted to Liverpool and their forward line is well established, Liverpool will definitely miss his qualities if Mane leaves.
The 2021-22 season was statistically Liverpool’s second-best season, scoring 23 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions and following spending most of the club’s time as an inside forward on the left wing, Mane was Klopp’s first He emerged as the number one player. – The Reds choose the striker as they pursue the quadruple.
During his six years at Merseyside, he became incredibly popular with colleagues and fans alike.
“He’s a machine,” Klopp said following winning the match once morest Aston Villa in May. “[He’s a] A huge player, his physical is brutal. A mix of skill, desire and flesh.
“You can see [he has] A few yards from the bridge, we can honestly see it. He is fantastic and he is a world-class player.”
Jamie Carragher said. “When I see Liverpool as a fan, Sadio Mane is my favorite player. There’s something regarding Mane. He sometimes sacrificed himself and the shifts he put in.
“I love him, and I absolutely love him. He is a great player and not just because of what he has done for Liverpool.”
Liverpool’s outstanding signings ensured that they continued to improve their squad from a strong position. That means they’re better protected than most people from losing one of the main stars.
Nevertheless, if Mane fulfills his wish and moves to Bayern Munich, it’s hard to see anything else other than weakening as Liverpool grapple with the title at Manchester City.