“I don’t feel like they needed to sell him” – Premier League star claims Liverpool have lost their ‘best player’ after Sadio Mane transfer
Liverpool fans were taken by surprise, as the club allowed Sadio Mane to join Bayern Munich in a deal worth €32 million this summer. Commenting on the transfer, West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has claimed that the Reds have lost their best player with the Senegalese' departure.
The Englishman made the comment while discussing the Reds' chances of winning the Premier League title this season on Footballer's Football Podcast.
🤝 #FCBayern
Official, confirmed. Sadio Mané joins FC Bayern from Liverpool on a three year contract, deal completed. 🔴🤝 #FCBayern
€32m deal plus add-ons to total, potential package for €41m. 🇸🇳
“I only wanted to join Bayern, it’s the right club for me now”.
"I want to know how you feel about losing Mane?" Michail Antonio asked his Liverpool-supporting host. "In my eyes Mane was your best player, overall he was your best player, how do you feel about losing him?”
Mane's departure means the Reds will now rely on Mohamed Salah to lead them in front of goal this season. They'll also hope other players, including the new signings, will step up to support the Egyptian. Antonio, though, feels Salah will miss his partnership and rivalry with his fellow African attacker this season.
The West Ham United striker continued:
“I don’t feel like they needed to sell him (Mane); I think that rivalry they had and that push that Mane was giving Salah and that Salah was giving to Mane, I think that was good for Liverpool. They had that rivalry on the pitch and demanded the best from each other. That rivalry they had, and everything they had was good for Liverpool."
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Meanwhile, it's worth noting that the Merseysiders have strengthened their attack this summer by signing Darwin Nunez from Benfica. The striker is off to a decent start, scoring in the 3-1 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield. Only time will if he'll be as impactful as Mane at Anfield.
Sadio Mane's numbers for Liverpool
The Senegalese joined the Reds from Southampton in the summer of 2016. During his six-year stint at Anfield, Mane made 269 appearances across competitions, recording an impressive 120 goals and 48 assists.
He also won multiple titles at the club, including the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. It remains to be seen if he'll enjoy a similar level of success at Bayern Munich.