Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes Liverpool made the “worst £30million ever” in selling Sadio Mane last summer.
Merson, speaking on Soccer Saturday, said Jurgen Klopp would’ve been better off keeping him at Anfield, even if it means letting him leave on a free transfer a year later.
Liverpool allowed the Senegal international to join Bayern Munich last summer, bringing an end to a six-year spell with the Reds.
The Reds sold Mane for an initial £27.5million, potentially increasing to £35million with add-ons.
Mane was sensational for Liverpool, registering 120 goals and 48 assists for the Anfield outfit.
The 30-year-old played a key role in winning every trophy available to Liverpool during the course of his Reds stay.
This season, the Reds have been struggling, and currently sit a lowly 10th in the table.
Liverpool have won just eight league games out of 20, with seven losses and five draws.
Merson believes Mane would’ve made a massive difference to the Reds’ form this season.
“It was the worst £30million ever,” he said on Sky Sports News, via Football Daily (11/2/23, 13:43).
“Honestly, you’d have been better off keeping him for another year and letting him go for free.
“He’d give enough to the club for him to go free, anyway, for them.
“100 percent (he would have made a significant difference). People have short memories.”Selling Mane wasn’t the issue – TBR View
While it was sad to see Mane leave Liverpool after so many years of great service, it was a logical, pragmatic and altruistic decision.
The player wanted to leave. In fact, he wanted to go a year earlier. Klopp kept him a season more than the player himself would’ve wanted.
Selling him in 2022 means Liverpool got another year out of Mane, and also selling him at a decent enough value.
Liverpool had already signed Luis Diaz ahead of schedule, and he hit the ground running at Anfield.
Besides, Mane’s form dipped in his last two years at Anfield, save for the months after the Africa Cup of Nations.
And he’s currently injured, so it’s not as though he’d have been able to contribute for Liverpool even if he had stayed.
Yes, the Reds have been poor this season, but that’s been largely due to weaknesses in midfield and defence.
Source: tbrfootball.com