Sadio Mané Discusses His Decision to Reject Manchester United

Sadio Mané recently disclosed that he declined a transfer to Manchester United a year prior to joining Liverpool, citing a lack of conviction regarding Louis van Gaal’s promises of playtime in the presence of established stars such as Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, and Ángel Di María.

In an appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the Senegalese forward recounted his discussions with then-United manager Van Gaal during the summer of 2015, while he was still with Southampton.

Mané ultimately chose to forgo the opportunity with United, opting instead for a £36 million move to Liverpool a year later, where he played a pivotal role in Jurgen Klopp’s successful campaigns in both the Champions League and Premier League.

Now playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, the 33-year-old reflected on his readiness for a transfer to United at that time. He noted that Van Gaal had attempted to reassure him about his potential role at Old Trafford, stating, “Manchester United called me at that time. I was in discussions with Van Gaal.”

Mané continued, “When they failed to sign me, they acquired Anthony Martial. Van Gaal expressed his interest in having me join the squad, emphasizing that he recognized my talent and believed I could contribute significantly.”

However, Mané expressed his concerns regarding the competition for positions, saying, “I asked him, ‘Where am I going to play?’ given the presence of players like Depay, Rooney, and Di María. His response about earning playtime if I trained well did not fully convince me.”

He acknowledged, “At that point, I felt I wasn’t ready yet. I was young and still required further development. I was not consistent enough during my time at Southampton, and I ultimately decided to see how things would unfold.”

In the same summer, Mané also engaged in talks with Tottenham Hotspur, finding the prospect of playing under Mauricio Pochettino more appealing than a move to United. He remarked, “I met with Tottenham; Pochettino expressed a strong interest in having me. After visiting their training facilities, I felt more convinced by their project compared to that of Manchester United, which seemed to be filled with too many big names.”