13 April 2023 , 12:11
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Sadio Mane once came very close to joining Manchester United - and the Red Devils may look to try and sign the winger once again this summer should he leave Bayern Munich.
Mane has endured a torrid campaign in Germany following his switch from Liverpool, and his experience was rather summed up following his side's Champions League defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday after he was involved in a furious bust-up with teammate Leroy Sane.
According to multiple reports from Germany, Mane's on-field argument with Sane, which played out in full view of the cameras, continued in the Etihad dressing room with the duo involved in a 'short' but 'loud' argument.
During the verbal altercation, Mane is alleged to have hit out at Sane, catching the former Manchester City winger on the lip.
The pair are now back in Germany and have trained together for the first time since the incident. They largely kept out of each other's way and didn't speak during the part of the session that was opened to the media.
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Bayern officials are currently working out how best to punish Mane, with claims the forward could be fined or perhaps even moved on in the summer transfer window.
Should Mane leave Bayern he will not be short of suitors, and United may decide to come back in for a man they once very nearly signed.
Leroy Sane and Sadio Mane are back training together in Germany (AP)Before Mane put pen to paper with Liverpool, he had agreed a transfer to Old Trafford. It was only a last-minute phone call with Jurgen Klopp that changed his mind.
Speaking to Carragher for The Telegraph in 2022, Mane said: "I have to say, I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there.
"I had it all agreed. It was all ready, but instead, I thought, 'No, I want to go to Liverpool'. I was convinced to go with Klopp's project. I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp.
"I was watching TV. It was an action movie - because I love movies - and he said, 'Sadio, listen, I want to explain to you what happened at Dortmund'. That was when he thought of signing me for Dortmund and for some reason it didn't work out.
"He tried to explain and I said, 'It's okay, it happened'. I forgave him. Then he said, 'Now I want you at Liverpool'. And I said, 'Okay, Dortmund is behind us, let's focus on the future.
Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane clashed in the dressing room after defeat by Man City (Sven Hoppe/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)"He said, 'We have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be part of it'. Then he asked what position I wanted, because he could see at Southampton I played on the right side and I used to play on the left. I said I prefer left, and then he said, 'But Coutinho is on the left!' So I said, never mind, I will play on the right. I could see myself in all the positions."
Joining Manchester United would likely see Mane burn his bridges with Liverpool, which may put him off making a move.
But Premier League interest in the Senegal international will certainly be high and a return to the UK is certainly not off the table for Mane.
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