Liverpool star Sadio Mané rejected the opportunity to sign for Manchester United during the Louis van Gaal era, because he had no interest in playing under the Dutchman's 'restrictive tactics'.
Van Gaal was in charge of the Red Devils from 2014 to 2016, having taken over from David Moyes following the glorious Sir Alex Ferguson era. The ex-Netherlands coach brought some very pragmatic football to Old Trafford, although he did try to fill his side with a string of superstars.
The 69-year-old recently revealed a list of targets who he'd tried to attract to Man Utd, including the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Neymar, Sergio Ramos and current Liverpool star, Mané. Van Gaal claimed that the Premier League giants had failed to negotiate a deal with Southampton for their Senegalese forward, but sources have told ESPN this may not be entirely accurate.
The American outlet reports that it was in fact Mané himself who opted to turn down a move to Old Trafford, due to Van Gaal's unadventurous playing style. The 28-year-old had 'no desire' to partake in the coach's 'restrictive tactics and reluctance to encourage flair players', something which could have nullified the winger's dynamic game.
Instead, Mané opted for a switch to Liverpool for a fee of £34m in 2016, and since that day, he and the Red Devils have enjoyed very different levels of success. The Senegal international has been a crucial cog in the Reds' new-found glory under Jurgen Klopp, striking up a lethal and free-flowing partnership with fellow forwards Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
Together, the trio have fired Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League success, lifting their first domestic title in 30 years. Individually, Mané went on to claim the top flight's Golden Boot award in the 2018/19 campaign, firing 22 goals over the 38 matches.
Not a bad piece of business.
The forward's decision to snub Man Utd looks to have been wise, with the Red Devils struggling to regularly finish in the top four, and failing to make much headway in Europe's biggest competition.
Source : 90min