Liverpool icon Sadio Mane, who now stars for Al-Nassr, once tantalisingly hinted "never say never" about the prospect of moving to Newcastle. The revered forward, remembered for his Anfield heroics after his £34million switch from Southampton in 2016, confessed he had initially shaken hands on a deal with Manchester United before choosing the Merseyside giants over their rivals.
Mane's legacy at Liverpool is one studded with silverware and awe-inspiring stats: 120 goals, 46 assists and a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's machinery that clinched the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Although his move to Bayern Munich in 2022 for an upfront £27m was a bitter pill to swallow for Liverpool fans, the Senegalese sensation's stint in Germany was short-lived due to injury woes and alleged squabbles with team-mate Leroy Sane.
While uncertainty loomed over his future at Bayern, Mane encountered Conservative life peer Martin Callanan at an EITI International conference in his homeland of Senegal. Callanan hailed from Newcastle, stirring whispers of potential Magpie interest in the forward
In a subsequent social message, Callanan shared his encounter with Mane in Senegal. He wrote: "I'm in Senegal speaking at the EITI conference. Honoured to meet Sadio Mane in the hotel. I couldn't resist asking him about coming to Newcastle next season. His enigmatic reply: 'Never say never!'"
It remains uncertain whether Mane was merely being polite or if Newcastle were genuine contenders for his signature, but he didn't end up at St James Park. Instead, he signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, where he has scored 62 goals in 93 matches.
Given his age and the fact that there's still a year left on his contract, the likelihood of a move to Tyneside can probably be categorised in the "never" bracket now.
While he might still view the switch as desirable, Newcastle are trying to bring in younger options, though Mane is being rumoured with an exit from Al-Nassr this summer.
Mane is no stranger to a sudden change in transfer plans. Before joining Liverpool, he was all set to head to Old Trafford until a phone call from Klopp turned his head.
Mane dropped a bombshell about nearly joining United before deciding on Liverpool, telling the Telegraph: "I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there. I had it all agreed. It was all ready, but instead, I thought, 'No, I want to go to Liverpool'.
"I was convinced to go with Klopp's project. I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp. He said: 'We have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be part of it.'"