In statements relayed by Sportbible, citing The National, Sadio Mané reflected on his transfer to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. The newly signed forward for the Riyadh-based team revealed that several of his former Liverpool teammates tried to dissuade him from joining the land of black gold.
Sadio Mané played his second match in Al Nassr’s colors on Wednesday. The Senegalese striker started in the semifinal of the Arab Club Champions Cup against Al Shorta. While he didn’t find the back of the net, the Teranga Lion earned the penalty that Cristiano Ronaldo converted for Al Nassr’s 1-0 victory. This win secured Al Nassr’s place in the final, where they will face Al Hilal, featuring none other than Kalidou Koulibaly.
After the match, the African champion revealed details about his transfer to Al-Nassr. Two former teammates of Mané’s at Liverpool reportedly asked him to turn down an offer from the Saudi club. “I think I first spoke to Firmino, for sure. I think he wanted me to come to the wrong club, I’m joking! He kept calling two or three times to convince me to come to Al Ahli,” Sadio Mané said, addressing The National as cited by Sportbible.
He added, “At the same time, I talked to Fabinho because he was quite close to me and he also wanted me to come to Al Ittihad. But at that time, when Al Nassr came, I chose Al Nassr.” In Saudi Arabia, Sadio Mané will encounter several of his former Mersey partners, including Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho, who also succumbed to the allure (or rather, the petrodollars) of the Saudi giants.
