Garth Crooks has warned that Sadio Mane could leave Liverpool, as quoted on BBC Sport.
The former Tottenham Hotspur forward believes that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp needs to give Mane advanced notice if he is going to bring him off during matches.
The Senegal international forward – who cost Liverpool £34 million in transfer fee when they signed him from Premier League rivals Southampton in the summer of 2016, as reported by BBC Sport, was substituted in the 57th minute against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
The defending English champions were coasting to a win in the Premier League game at Selhurst Park at the time, but Mane, who had scored in the 35th minute, was not too happy with the decision.
Crooks, who now works as a pundit for BBC Sport, believes that Klopp needs to handle Mane better or else the 28-year-old could leave.
The Englishman wrote on BBC Sport: “However, a note of caution for Klopp: don’t mess Sadio Mane around. He’s been the Reds’ best forward for over a season and if Klopp is going to substitute him, especially when he’s in such fine goalscoring mood, he needs to let him know well in advance.
“Watching Mane come off muttering his frustrations isn’t a good look and Klopp is deluding himself if he thinks such things don’t matter. And he should never think for one minute that the big European clubs aren’t watching his every move.”
Much ado about nothing?
Mane was having fun against Palace, and no footballer wants to come off when he is playing well and is scoring goals.
Liverpool have had injuries to key players this season, such as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, and Klopp needs to protect his big assets like Mane and Mohamed Salah.
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