Liverpool defensive midfielder Fabinho has told The Athletic that he tried to stop Sadio Mane from leaving the Anfield club for Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window.
Fabinho has said that Mane told him at the end of last season that he was planning to leave Liverpool this summer.
The Senegal international forward eventually moved to German and European giants Bayern Munich for £35 million (The Athletic).
Liverpool and Brazil international defensive midfielder Fabinho has disclosed how he tried to convince Mane from leaving.
Liverpool’s Fabinho on Sadio Mane
Fabinho told The Athletic: “At the end of the season, I spoke a lot with Sadio. He told me about the situation that he could leave.
“I was always saying to him, ‘Come on Sadio, stay here. You can win the Premier League and the Champions League right here, don’t leave’. But I think he had already made his mind up. We had to respect that.
“Sadio had a really good story in a Liverpool shirt. He played for six years here and during that time he won everything you can win and he decided that he wanted a new challenge. That’s OK.
“After the parade in Liverpool, everyone said goodbye to him. We knew there was a good chance he would be leaving. I always kept some hope that he would still stay but then it was all confirmed.”
Great player
Sadio Mane was superb for Liverpool during his time at Anfield.
Many would say that the Senegalese is a modern Liverpool legend.
The Senegalese played a key role in Liverpool winning the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League in recent years.
As reported by Sky Sports, Mane scored 120 goals for the Merseyside club.
That is hugely impressive when you consider that Mane played as a wide-forward and as a central striker for the Reds.
Mane will now hope to achieve similar success at Bayern and add more medals.
Liverpool will miss the forward, but they will move on.
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