Sadio Mane Reveals Former Liverpool Teammates Encouraged Him to Join Saudi Pro League

Sadio Mane has revealed he was encouraged by a number of his former Liverpool teammates to join them at their respective Saudi Pro League clubs. The Reds’ former No. 10 joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr following a difficult season which saw him leave Bayern Munich after just 12 months.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel admitted that Mane was “hurt” by how things had turned out at the German champions, where the Senegalese forward scored 12 goals and registered six assists in an injury-hit campaign.

Mane joined a host of high-profile names to make the switch to the Middle East this summer, including three of his former colleagues at Anfield. Two of those players attempted to talk the 31-year-old into a reunion in Saudi Arabia, with Brazilian duo Firmino and Fabinho both said to have spoken to Mane about his options ahead of his move to Al-Nassr.

“I spoke with Firmino and I think he wanted me to come to the wrong club, I’m joking! He called two or three times to convince me to come to Al-Ahli,” Mane told TNT Sports when speaking of his former strike partner. “At the same time, I spoke with Fabinho because he was quite close to me and he also wanted me to come to Al-Ittihad, but I chose Al-Nassr.”

Mane also said that he has received well wishes from Jordan Henderson, who joined Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq last month. “Of course, Henderson is here also and he sent me a message two days ago to wish me good luck and I’m excited to meet all these great guys and also to meet them face to face for the first time. I’m going to win against you guys!”

The pair were recently reunited at an event in Saudi Arabia ahead of the start of the new season having lifted every possible major trophy together in red shirts. Henderson was widely criticised for his move to a country where LGBTQ+ communities are heavily oppressed having spoken out publicly in support of those groups during his time on Merseyside.

The Saudi Pro League is rapidly growing with a swarm of players from the Premier League and across Europe making their moves in pursuit of lucrative deals. Mane left Anfield shortly after the 2022 Champions League final in Paris having scoring 120 times in 269 appearances for the club across six seasons.

The Growing Popularity of the Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League is quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations for footballers from around the world. With some of the biggest names in the game making their moves to the Middle East, it’s no surprise that more and more players are looking to join them.

The league is home to some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq, all of whom have been able to attract some of the top players in Europe.

This summer alone has seen a number of high-profile names make their moves to Saudi Arabia, including Sadio Mane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard. All four players have been able to secure lucrative deals with their respective clubs, as well as being able to reunite with former teammates.

The Criticism of Moving to Saudi Arabia

Despite the financial benefits that come with moving to Saudi Arabia, there has been some criticism of players making the switch due to the country’s human rights record. LGBTQ+ communities are heavily oppressed in Saudi Arabia, which has led to some questioning why players such as Jordan Henderson have chosen to move there.

Henderson has been vocal in his support for LGBTQ+ communities during his time at Liverpool, so his move has been met with some criticism from those who feel he should be setting a better example for others.

Conclusion

The Saudi Pro League is quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations for footballers from around the world. With some of the biggest names in the game making their moves to the Middle East, it’s no surprise that more and more players are looking to join them.

Sadio Mane has revealed that he was encouraged by a number of his former Liverpool teammates to join them at their respective Saudi Pro League clubs. The Reds’ former No. 10 joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr following a difficult season which saw him leave Bayern Munich after just 12 months.