Paul Merson thinks Liverpool earned ‘worst £30m ever’ by selling Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich. The Senegalese sensation secured his move to the Bundesliga giants last summer.
But rather than cash in on the striker, as his Reds contract was set to expire in 2023, the Arsenal icon believes Jurgen Klopp should have kept Mane for another season. Even if the 30-year-old had moved on a free transfer, Merson is confident he would have made amends.
Instead, Klopp accepted a £27.5m offer from Bayern Munich for the transfer of Mane, which could net Liverpool £35m after the add-ons. The winger also signed a three-year deal in Bavaria to join the record Bundesliga champions. While the Reds have struggled to perform ever since.
Mane had cost Liverpool £34million to sign from Southampton in June 2016 after just two seasons at St Mary’s. But the national player with 92 caps more than proved himself in the following years at Anfield Road. This season again, Mane proves what he can do at the Allianz Arena.
The Bambaly-born Dynamo have gifted Liverpool with 120 goals and 48 assists in 269 games in all competitions. His tally also included 90 goals and 36 assists in 196 Premier League games. He has never scored fewer than 10 goals in a single peak season at Anfield.
MERSON SLAMS KLOPP TO ALLOW MANES TRANSFER FROM LIVERPOOL TO BAYERN MUNICH.
Even in Mane’s final season, the Liverpool winger offered 16 goals in 34 Premier League games to earn his move to Bayern Munich. Since then, as an FCB player, he has provided eleven goals and four assists in 23 games in all competitions. But he hasn’t played since November.
Mane missed the world championships with a leg injury that required surgery to repair a tendon in his fibula. He is now a few weeks away from being fully fit again. But Merson hasn’t forgotten his impact at Liverpool or the mistake by Klopp that made Mane’s move to Bayern Munich possible.
“It was the worst £30million ever,” Merson said on Sky Sports News (11/02, 1.43pm). “Honestly, you should have kept it for another year and then let it go for free.
“It would give the club enough to release it, anyway, for them. 100% [it would have made a significant difference]. Humans have short memories.
