“Pure quality”- French winger claims he is not jealous of Liverpool’s Sadio Mane

Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin confuses fans with odd claim of not being ‘jealous’ of Liverpool star Sadio Mane

Speaking in an interview with French outlet So Foot (h/t Daily Mail), Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin claims he is not ‘jealous’ of Liverpool winger Sadio Mane.

This may catch fans of both teams by surprise considering there hasn’t really been a widespread debate about the quality between these two players. Mane, for many football fans, is a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or this season.

Saint-Maximin, on the other hand, was fighting relegation with the Magpies up until the end of the January transfer window, and it is arguably the arrival of players like Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier that has played a hand in Newcastle clawing their way up the table.

But according to the ex-OGC Nice winger, he has nothing to be jealous of when it comes to pure footballing ability and holds himself at par with Mane, who has 20 goals for Liverpool across all competitions this season.

“Those who have played alongside me know full well that when it comes to pure quality, I have no cause to be jealous of Sadio Mane. The day I get a team-mate who is able to convert the chances I create, I will have 10 to 15 successful assists every season.”

Needless comment from ASM

Blaming your teammates in such a manner isn’t a good look on any footballer. Moreover, even if he racks up those numbers, it is not only about statistics. The way Mane has stepped up for Liverpool in big games is sensational.

The Senegal star led his team to their first-ever AFCON title earlier this year and has been a goal-scoring menace for opposition defences in the UEFA Champions League- arguably the biggest club competition in the world. The Frenchman, meanwhile, has no senior international appearances to this day

While Mane has been crucial to Liverpool reaching three UEFA Champions League finals under Jurgen Klopp, Saint-Maximin is yet to play a single minute in the post-qualification stages of the competition. As long as the Newcastle winger hasn’t proved his mettle at the very top stage and in top competitions, a holistic debate between the two stars would be overwhelmingly one-sided.

If he is as good as he says he is, football ability-wise, he should be able to help guide his current team to the top or find himself a club where he can actualize his potential. Until then, Liverpool fans would be more than happy to have a player who has scored 117 goals and provided 46 assists for the club since his move from Southampton in 2016.

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Apart from the numbers, his impact in big games is tough to match for many players in his position. His most recent goal contribution came in the 3-2 win against Villarreal in the second leg of the UCL semi-final, where he scored their third on the night to help his team continue their run for the quadruple.