- Forward impressed for the Saints
- Became a club legend at Anfield
- Could have starred at the Etihad
WHAT HAPPENED? Mane eventually secured a big-money move away from St Mary’s, but that deal – which was struck in 2016 – took him to Anfield and Liverpool rather than the Etihad Stadium. The hard-working winger would go on to become a Champions League and Premier League title winner with the Reds. Those qualities could have benefited City had they heeded the advice of Ivorian superstar Toure when he was performing at the peak of his powers.
WHAT THEY SAID: City legend Toure has told BBC Match of the Day Africa: Top 10: “I always wanted to play with him [Mane]. When I was at City, at the time when he was at Southampton, I highly regarded him and I was asking some of my superiors to just sign him. But in the end it just didn't happen. After that Klopp had the eyes to get him and now look what he did for Liverpool, he was brilliant. I like him, I like him as a player.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mane hit 120 goals for Liverpool in 269 appearances, with six major honours collected during his time on Merseyside. City fared admirably enough without him, with Toure helping to put the foundations in place for them on which a dynasty of history-making success has been enjoyed by the 2022-23 Treble winners.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Mane left English football in the summer of 2022 when linking up with Bayern Munich, but has seen a return to the Premier League speculated on at 31 years of age following a testing debut campaign with the Bundesliga title winners.