With Sadio Mane set to become the latest high-profile name to join the Saudi Pro League, both Jurgen Klopp and his Borussia Dortmund predecessor have had their say on the move.
Mane left the Reds to join Bayern Munich for £35 million last summer but it is fair to say that the move has not worked out how he would have hoped.
The Senegalese forward registered seven goals and five assists in the Bundesliga last season, with a leg injury which kept him out of action between November and February also seeing him miss the World Cup.
He is now on the verge of putting pen to paper on a four-year deal with Al-Nassr, with Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel admitting that the striker rightly feels “hurt” by the way things have panned out in Germany.
“We had a big hug. We agreed that we don’t like what’s happening now but that it’s the best in this situation,” Tuchel explained.
“I totally understand that he feels hurt. I also don’t feel happy. We didn’t bring it to the full potential which is my responsibility.”
News of Mane’s Liverpool exit came shortly after defeat in the Champions League final in Paris, the end of a season in which the forward had fired the Reds to the brink of a quadruple with 23 goals in all competitions.
Klopp was also asked for his thoughts on the failed switch to the Bundesliga champions, citing “luck” as a potential reason for any shortcomings.
“I don’t know what went wrong, to be honest. I think Sadio left us on a high, in really good shape, world-class player, no shadow of a doubt,” the Liverpool boss told the media prior to Wednesday’s meeting between the two sides.
“To fulfil your full potential I think everything has to fall in place pretty much. A bit of luck is helpful as well, and that was obviously not the case.
“A bad injury in a horrible moment, the World Cup was gone. So we all knew that would have an influence, because Sadio is a very proud man, and that he couldn’t lead his country to the World Cup was brutal for him, definitely.”
There will be no reunion for Mane when the Reds face Bayern Munich in Singapore on Wednesday, with both teams looking to add some final touches to their 2023/24 preparations.
Just one warm-up against Darmstadt remains for Liverpool when they return from Southeast Asia, with the start of the Premier League season on August 13 creeping closer.
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