Liverpool forward Sadio Mane admits he rejected Manchester United because it was ‘not the right club’.
Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal held talks with the forward back in 2015, as he tried to inject more pace into his attacking options having failed to land Pedro from Barcelona.
However, United ended up signing Anthony Martial instead after the 26-year-old decided to stay at Southampton for one more season, saying that it wasn’t the right time, right manager or right club.
“Honestly, I could not believe it,” Mane told the Premier League Today show.
“Some teams wanted me – Manchester United – the wrong team wanted me.
“Of course, I spoke with Van Gaal, and they even made an offer.
“But for me it was not the right club, it was not the right moment. To feel this – the right moment, the right coach, the right club.”
He would eventually go on to make a big money move to Liverpool in 2016, where he has become a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s attacking trio alongside Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino