The management at Liverpool brought in Klopp last season in the hope that the German can take them back to the top like the good old days. Last season we just saw glimpses of what the former Dortmund manager can do, if given proper support. This year the focus has to be on getting back in the Champions League and for that he might have to go out and get some reinforcements who can lift the quality of the squad and give Liverpool that push up the table. Many players have been linked with the Reds this summer, however nothing has been confirmed till now, which has left many fans anxious.
Liverpool were heavily linked with Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Gotze but the German pulled a dramatic U-turn recently in committing his future to Bayern Munich, despite the German Champions stressing that he should look for a move away. With all that has gone down with Gotze, Klopp has been forced to look for other alternative options that could provide the spark missing from his team since Suarez left.
According to the reports coming out in media, Klopp is poised to enter the race to sign Southampton forward Sadio Mane. The Saints player is heading Klopp’s list of priority targets as an alternative to his former Borussia Dortmund star snubbing Liverpool. However the valuation of £25 million might be a bit too high for the 24 year old. Mane finished the 2015/16 campaign as Southampton’s top goalscorer, with 15 goals in 43 games in all competitions, and is capable of operating in a variety of roles in attack. It is understood that the Reds will face strong competition from the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham for the player’s signature.
Mane spent much of the 2015/16 campaign in a central role under Ronald Koeman, however he is basically a right sided winger by trade. The Senegal international is armed with lightening quick feet and boundless energy, something which he uses very effectively to go up and down the pitch and trouble defenses. Mane was instrumental in Southampton qualifying for the Europa League, something which Liverpool can’t promise.
Mane would likely slot in on the right wing alongside Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, though his ability to fill in up front provides a major bonus for the German. He joined the Saints from Red Bull Salzburg in 2014, after manager Brendan Rodgers declined the chance to sign the forward. The Senegalese has since proven his worth in the English top flight since arriving here, and at 24, with his best years ahead of him, Klopp could see him as an ideal player to mould within his system.
If Mane does decide to join the Merseyside club then he will become the fifth player to join Liverpool from Southampton in the past three years, following Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne. However, at £25million, he would be something of a gamble but a gamble worth taking looking at his previous performances.