Former Liverpool star Mohamed Sissoko has explained why he can see Sadio Mane quitting the Reds in favour of a move to Real Madrid.
The 27-year-old has been fundamental to the Merseyside giants again this season, scoring 18 goals and providing 12 assists in 38 appearances thus far.
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That has helped them to move within touching distance of the Premier League title, although it remains to be seen when the season resumes given the current break due to the coronavirus crisis.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that Mane has established himself as one of the top players in the world over the course of his time with Liverpool, but Sissoko has warned his former club that they could face the threat of losing him at some point.
“I don’t know if Salah will stay at Liverpool,” he told AS. “If he left, it could also be a good thing for Liverpool – they’re a clever club and they’d know how to replace him. There are some fantastic youngsters who have what it takes to play for the Reds and put in top performances.”
When asked if Salah could move to Real Madrid, Sissoko replied: “No, I think Sadio Mané is likelier to, because he has the characteristics that Zidane wants – he really rates him. I think Sadio Mané will go to Real Madrid.”
Time will tell if his prediction comes true or not, but ideally, Liverpool fans will be hoping that they can keep their current stars at Anfield and strengthen further around them rather than have to replace anyone as they look to enjoy a sustained period of success.
Sissoko makes a good point about their excellent work in the transfer market in the recent past to replace outgoing stars, as seen when they lost Philippe Coutinho, but such is Mane’s importance and influence, they’ll surely want to avoid losing him any time soon if Real Madrid do indeed come knocking to try and bolster Zidane’s attacking options.