Talented Senegalese forward Sadio Mane has expressed his immense delight at becoming a part of Al Nassr, a prominent Saudi League team that also boasts the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
During an engaging interview, Sadio Mane unveiled a fascinating tidbit about his decision-making process. He disclosed that he had encountered the persuasive efforts of his former Liverpool comrades, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho, as he pondered over which Saudi Premier League club to align himself with.
In a light-hearted remark, Mane shared, “I spoke with (Roberto) Firmino for sure. He wanted me to come to the wrong club! I’m joking! He called me two or three times to convince me to come to Al Ahli because I had contact with them from the beginning. But, in this time when Al Nassr come then I chose Al Nassr.”
Acknowledging the persistence of both Firmino from Al Ahli and Fabinho from Al-Ittihad, Mane was frank about their endeavours to sway his decision. However, the allure of collaborating with the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo ultimately proved to be too irresistible for the former Liverpool attacker to resist.
“Of course, (Jordan) Henderson is also here. He sent me a message two days ago to wish me good luck with my team, and I’m really, really excited to meet all of these great guys and also out on the pitch to face each other for the first time, and hopefully I am going to win against you guys!” exclaimed a spirited Sadio Mane.
The 31-year-old Mané departed Bayern Munich after a single season. His time with the German champions was marked by an unfortunate injury that sidelined him from the World Cup and a brief suspension due to club-related issues.
Brimming with enthusiasm, Sadio Mane emphasised his satisfaction at being part of this ambitious project, determined to elevate the stature of the league. “Really, really happy to be part of this project and to make sure this league becomes one of the best, for sure. I think if you see how they work on it and how they are doing their best to bring all these great players, I think you can see how ambitious they are.”
Apart from the charismatic Ronaldo, Mane’s new comrades at Al-Nassr encompass the likes of former Manchester United defender Alex Telles, midfield maestro Marcelo Brozović, who captained runner-up Inter Milan in this year’s Champions League final, and Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina.
Mane’s tenure at Bayern saw him net 12 goals across 38 matches. However, an unfortunate leg injury in November marred his performance, restricting him to only one goal post-injury. It’s worth noting that Mané faced suspension for one match following an incident of “misconduct” in April. News Central reported an altercation with teammate Leroy Sané in the locker room following a Champions League loss to Manchester City.
