Sadio Mane is now worth “well beyond the £100 million mark”, says John Aldridge, with the Liverpool star considered to have gone from “unknown quantity” to “potent scoring weapon”.
Reds supporters were aware of the Senegal international when he arrived at Anfield in 2016, with two productive seasons – including a record-breaking hat-trick – having been spent at Southampton.
Few, however, could have predicted that he would make such a stunning impact on Merseyside.
Alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, the 27-year-old is now part of the one of the most fearsome attacking units in world football.
He is a key man for Jurgen Klopp, with 65 goals recorded across 129 appearances and a share of the Premier League Golden Boot secured in 2018-19.
Aldridge admits that Mane is now part of the global elite, with his value – both in a sporting sense and a financial one – having soared over the course of the last three years.
The former Reds striker told the Irish Independent: “Mane was something of an unknown quantity when Liverpool signed him from Southampton in the summer of 2016 and while he always had raw pace, Klopp and his coaching staff have turned him into a potent scoring weapon in the last couple of seasons.
“He is there with Salah now as a scoring threat and if either of the pair were put up for sale by Liverpool (which is not happening by the way!) the fee they would command would be well beyond the £100m mark.
“Keeping those three fit is vital to Liverpool and Klopp’s hopes of success this season, with the opening few weeks of this season confirming the European champions mean business in the Premier League.”
Liverpool remain faultless in 2019-20, with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle in their most recent outing seeing them to a record-setting 14th successive win in the English top flight.
Mane and Salah got the goals against the Magpies, but it was Firmino who impressed the most after stepping off the bench to inspire a come-from-behind success for the Reds.
“Some of his movement and his intelligent passes were sublime and Mane and Salah look better players when Firmino is on the field and opening a few doors for them,” added Aldridge.
“I have not always been Firmino’s biggest fan and there were times last season when I questioned whether he should remain in the team, but Klopp has always stood behind him and he is showing us why now.
“[Divock] Origi going off injured gave us a chance to see what Firmino brings to the party and the game changed when he came on, with the Newcastle defence now unsettled.
“Those three forwards are the primary reason why Liverpool are such a force in English and European football right now.”