Liverpool transfer news expert and CaughtOffside columnist Neil Jones admits he could see Sadio Mane coming back to the Premier League this summer amid links with Newcastle United.
The Senegal international left Liverpool last summer and has endured a difficult time at Bayern Munich, with Jones admitting that we haven’t seen the real Mane at the Allianz Arena.
It may be that age has simply caught up with Mane, as it seems to have done with another fan-favourite, Georginio Wijnaldum, since his departure a couple of years ago.
However, Jones believes Mane still has it in him to revive his career and shine at the highest level, though he admits there’s surely no chance of the 31-year-old coming back for a second spell with LFC, even if Jurgen Klopp’s side missed him last season.
“Wijnaldum’s career in particular hasn’t really recovered since leaving Liverpool. I do think that Mane, however, is more likely to still have something left in him and to rediscover his mojo,” Jones said.
“It was surreal seeing Bayern chasing the Bundesliga title on the final day but leaving Mane as an unused substitute – you’d have thought that was unthinkable after the standards he reached at Liverpool over the years, and it’s incredible that they didn’t want to turn to him in such a big game. It’s a reminder that sometimes what seem like obvious transfers don’t necessarily pay off.
“I think there were a lot of times last season when I watched Liverpool and they missed Mane hugely, and I still think that. I’m sure they could’ve got more out of him being at the club than they did from the £30-35m they got from selling him to Bayern. I think he’s far from finished as a player and he could’ve continued to have a positive impact at Liverpool.
“He won’t be coming back to Liverpool, I think we can safely rule that out, but his struggles at Bayern will make for an interesting situation this summer. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him back in the Premier League, with Newcastle recently linked with him.
“And of course the Saudi situation adds another layer of complexity to the market because it feels like they could target almost anyone, so maybe that’ll be an option for him, but from my point of view I’d still love to see Mane playing in the Champions League, playing at the top level, and reminding everyone of just how good he is, because the Bayern version of him isn’t the real him.
“I think Liverpool fans would all love to see him smiling again and showing just what a fantastic player he is.”
One imagines a fair few Newcastle fans would surely be happy with the signing of Mane, even if it might be a bit of a gamble after the way his form has gone downhill since leaving Liverpool.
An utter non-starter. Mane doesn’t fit the NUFC template in any way whatsoever.