SADIO MANE rejected the chance to join ten years ago because of their top-heavy attack.
United contacted when he was at Southampton in August 2015 about the possibility of joining the club.
Sadio Mane rejected the chance to join Manchester United in 2015Credit: Getty
Sadio Mane and Mo Salah in action for LiverpoolCredit: EPA
But Mane was concerned by the recent arrival of winger Memphis Depay and the presence of other senior forwards.
was the United captain, Angel Di Maria had joined a year earlier but was in the process of engineering a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Then-United manager Louis van Gaal had sent Radamel Falcao back to Monaco after an inept season-long loan and Robin van Persie was sold to Fenerbahce.
Mane, 23 at the time, was a logical option to reinforce United’s right wing yet he felt intimidated by the competition in Van Gaal’s squad.
United ended that transfer window by signing Anthony Martial for £58million from Monaco on deadline day.
Mane moved to a year later for a bargain £36m and the Senegal international won the Premier League, the , the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Club World Cup.
“Manchester United called me that time,” Mane said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast . “The same time, I was talking to Van Gaal.
“Rooney was there and Di Maria was there. Depay was there. When they failed to get me, they bought Martial.
“Van Gaal called me. He said, ‘Mané, how are you? What are you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m good.’
“He said, ‘I want you to come to Manchester United.’
“I said, ‘Really?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ Now I’m talking to my agent.”
Van Gaal added to Mane: “We’ll see what is the best, because I know you’re a good player and you can help the team, and we can help you also to become better players.”
Mane then asked Van Gaal, “Okay, so my question: you have Depay, you have Rooney, you have Di Maria, you have Van Persie, So where am I going to play?”
Van Gaal told Mane: “I know your talent, you’re good. But if you do good training, good impression, you will play. But we have another player which is also good.”
Louis van Gaal at Manchester UnitedCredit: AP:Associated Press
Mane would go on to life the Champions League with LiverpoolCredit: Getty Images
Mane said he was “not convinced about his explanation. And a few days after, the club called me.
“So I was waiting with my agent and my family. I talked to the coach, but he told me that I will play if I’m good; if not.
“But at the time, me, I was not ready, I can say. I was young. I still needed someone to help me more.
“And one or two more years to become what I want to be. Because I was still in Southampton; I was not consistent.”
Tottenham, managed by former Southampton coach Mauricio Pochettino, suddenly contacted Mane and he was invited to their training ground at Enfield.
“I had a meeting with Tottenham,” Mane recalled. “And then I go to Tottenham training ground one week after. And I see the facility, I meet the coach, I talk to him.
“And I was more convinced than the Man United project. Because Man U was too many big players.”
