Liverpool’s UCL record-breaker Sadio Mane “really happy” despite Real Madrid claims
Sadio Mane says he “struggles to describe how happy he is at Liverpool”.
The Senegalese forward was the subject of transfer speculation over the summer, with reports linking him with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid yet again.
Did Real Madrid try to sign Sadio Mane? Five things to know…
- Penalties excluded, Sadio Mane scored more Premier League goals than anyone last season (22).
- The head of Senegal’s FA publicly urged him to consider an “offer” from Real Madrid in July.
- This forced Liverpool to deny contact from Los Blancos to local press.
- A former Southampton teammate said Mane is “ready” for Real Madrid earlier this year.
- In May, the player himself described the interest as a “pleasure”, though also stated his focus is on Liverpool
https://audioboom.com/posts/7360490-squawka-talker-special-champions-league-2019-20-preview
A move to La Liga never happened, however, as Los Blancos spent big on the likes of Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic. Mane, 27, has reiterated his happiness at being part of the Liverpool “family”.
He told Complex: “To be honest, I’m really happy to be a part of the club, the family here.
“We have the best fans in the world here, so I’m always so thankful for the support.
“It’s not just great for me too – it gives the whole squad more motivation to perform. It keeps us hungry to get better and better together… I really struggle to describe how happy I am to be here!”
Last season, Mane became the first Liverpool player to score 10 knockout-stage goals in the Champions League since the competition was reformatted and rebranded in 1992.
Sadio Mané is the first Liverpool player in the #UCL era to score 10 Champions League knockout stage goals.
Super Mané sliding into the history books. 🦸♂️ pic.twitter.com/wm6sVxF628
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 17, 2019
After sharing the Premier League Golden Boot with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and teammate Mohamed Salah with 22 goals, Mane has made a strong start to this campaign, scoring four times in just five appearances in all competitions.
“It’s my celebration” – Mane hits back at teammate Firmino
Despite working harmoniously as part of Liverpool’s deadly front three, Mane and teammate Roberto Firmino have been somewhat at odds recently over the Senegalese’s new goal celebration.
Mane first tried the sweeping hands celebration after scoring in Liverpool’s Uefa Super Cup win over Chelsea last month, although it looked strikingly similar to one originally made famous by Firmino.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1LqyprIoqH/?utm_source=ig_embed
This prompted the Brazilian to take to Instagram, telling Mane: “Sadio, don’t copy me please”.
But Mane is still claiming the celebration as his own, saying it is inevitable that Firmino will “copy” him once again later down the line.
“Each player in this squad, if you want to keep this celebration as your own it’s quite difficult because we score quite a lot,” he said.
“Bobby did that celebration two or three years ago, and I think he has had quite a few celebrations since.
“My celebration now is what I’m going to carry on doing throughout the year.
“I know that Bobby will be copying me again soon, you’ll see!”
