Liverpool legend Sadio Mane has revealed that he was keen on joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2016 before moving to Anfield.
Liverpool legend Sadio Mane has revealed that he was keen on joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2016 before moving to Anfield.
Liverpool legend Sadio Mane has revealed that he was keen on joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2016 before moving to Anfield
Daniel Levy’s 25-year reign as Tottenham chairman came to an end during the summer, with many supporters relieved to see the back of him. Although the Lilywhites won the Europa League final against Manchester United, marking a positive conclusion to his tenure, the club also suffered through numerous mishaps during his time in charge.
According to Rio Ferdinand Presents on Youtube, the Spurs fans have been forced to relive another painful transfer saga after Sadio Mane admitted he wanted to join Spurs before completing his move to Liverpool in 2016.
Spurs have missed out on several big signings over recent years, but missing out on Mane may be the most damaging transfer failure of them all.
Liverpool legend Sadio Mane has revealed that he was keen on joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2016 before moving to Anfield.
In an interview on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, Mane revealed he rejected a move to Manchester United in favour of reuniting with Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham before ultimately joining Liverpool from Southampton. He stated:
“I had a meeting with Tottenham, and the same time, [Mauricio] Pochettino called him and said ‘I want to have Sadio to come to Tottenham training ground.”
“*And then I go to the Tottenham training ground a week after, and I see the facility, I meet the coach, I talk to him, and I was more convinced than the Man United project, because the problem was too many big players.*“
“Then I go to meet Pochettino, I say ‘okay, so make sure you agree with my agent, everything I will come to Tottenham’. And I come back home, three days later, club called me ‘this is my club, this is what I want, I give you my word.”
Tottenham fans will wince at the revelation that Mane was sold on Pochettino’s project and wanted a switch to North London before Liverpool swooped in. The Senegalese winger went on to become one of Europe’s elite forwards, scoring 111 goals and providing 38 assists in 263 Premier League appearances.
Levy’s penny-pinching scuppered the deal
Not only did Mane set the division alight with electric performances for Liverpool, but he also helped the Reds beat the Lilywhites in the 2019 Champions League final before winning the Premier League a year later, twisting the knife further for Spurs supporters.
https://twitter.com/SpursArmyTweets/status/1963644991714332978?s=20
It’s crazy to think Tottenham could have boasted a forward trio of Mane, Heung-min Son, and Harry Kane, although Levy’s notorious penny-pinching crushed that dream. While the winger was eager to join and had been convinced by Pochettino’s vision, Tottenham’s strict wage structure ultimately scuppered the deal.
As per the Daily Mail, Levy needed to be convinced to meet Mane’s wage demands, despite the forward scoring 11 Premier League goals for Southampton during the 2015/16 campaign. Unfortunately, this lack of ambition prevented Spurs from winning a trophy during Pochettino’s reign and is precisely why supporters celebrated Levy’s departure as chairman.