Sadio Mane has been one of the best players in this season of the Premier League. The Senegalese attacker moved to Liverpool from Southampton at the start of the season. And has been a perfect signing for Jurgen Klopp’s playing style.

While many questioned the £34 million price tag for the Southampton man, the Senegalese has scored three goals already. It was not a surprise that the attacker wanted to move away from the South coast but he could have ended up at Manchester United.

The Daily Telegraph conducted an interview with the Liverpool attacker and Mane did state that Louis van Gaal tried to sign him up. But Mane decided to stick to Southampton for another season.

“In my head I thought I would be there a couple more years and prove something. I was convinced I still had to prove something, improve more and learn more before I moved to a bigger club. But then I knew when the right time was for me. The extra year helped me get better, and it is important for every player to go step by step.”

The 24-year-old also stated why he did move to Anfield over the summer.

“It was only when Liverpool came in [last summer] that I never had a second thought and knew I wanted to join. It was different because then was the right moment for me. I finally came to Liverpool and I was happy with that, and now I’m happy I am playing against Manchester United.”

A bright spark that Liverpool needed

To be fair, Mane could have ended up playing for any of the top clubs in the Premier League but him signing for Liverpool was a bit of a shock. The former Southampton player though has been an incredible option for the Reds and a lot of the good work in the attacking third is done by Mane.

The Senegalese has brought in a lot of direct running and his pace has troubled most of the defences this season. He has easily been the best Liverpool player this season and is surely in the running for the best signing of the season.

Mane has also linked up really well with the rest of the attack in the Liverpool squad and certainly will be one of the keys if Liverpool are to make it to a top-four finish this season. So far, it has been a great start and Liverpool fans will hope it continues till the end of the campaign.