Former Liverpool midfielder Momo Sissoko believes Zinedine Zidane’s admiration will bring Sadio Mane to Real Madrid in the near future.
Mane has taken his game to a new level this season, with some suggesting he has now surpassed team-mate Mohamed Salah.
Five things to know about Sadio Mane’s career so far…
- The Senegalese forward first made his name at RB Salzburg and moved to Southampton and the Premier League in 2014.
- He spent two seasons on the south coast, where he broke the record for the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.
- Liverpool acquired his services in 2016 for a fee of £34 million, making Mane most expensive African player ever at the time.
- He won (jointly) last season’s Premier League Golden Boot award and was named African Player of the Year in June…
- …while Lionel Messi voted for Mane to win FIFA’s Best Men’s Player award for 2019.
Mane has further established himself as one of the finest players in Europe this campaign. He’s played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s historic title charge and has thrown his hat in the ring for PFA Player of the Year.
The Reds’ potent front three have built a reputation as one of the greatest attacking groups in Premier League history, but they have not been without their problems. Salah and Mane seemed to have a public falling-out at Burnley away earlier this season, leading many to believe that perhaps their chemistry off the pitch isn’t as strong as it is on it.
Both Mane and Salah have been linked with moves away from Anfield, with the suggestion that maybe Kylian Mbappe or Jadon Sancho will come to Merseyside. Sissoko believes that Mane’s future is already a certainty.
Speaking to europacalcio.it, he said: “Mane will go Real Madrid. Zidane likes his characteristics.”
When asked whether Los Blancos could move for Mane’s team-mate, Salah, he added: “No, I see Mane more, because he has the qualities that Zidane wants. He really values him. I think Mane will move to Real Madrid.”
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Mane out, Mbappe in?
There has been much speculation linking the French revelation to Liverpool over the past few months.
After the striker described Klopp’s side as a “machine” in an interview with the BBC earlier this season, leading to rumours Mbappe may be on his way to Merseyside rather than Madrid, a side to which he has long been linked due to supposedly rivalrous relationship with Neymar. In fact, their relationship is often painted in similar fashion to that of Salah and Mane.
Of course, Mbappe would come at a price: PSG would likely demand upwards of £200 million for the forward, given his age, ability and frightening potential. However, the possible sale of Mane or Salah could well pave the way for a new chapter for the French wonderkid.