13 June 2023 , 12:45
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Sadio Mane could be reunited with Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia, with the Bayern Munich winger's rumoured next club Al-Ettifaq set to appoint Gerrard as manager.
Gerrard was pictured in Saudi Arabia on Monday, with the former Liverpool captain spotted leaving a car and entering Al-Ettifaq's headquarters. The 43-year-old is now set to become the latest big name to join the Saudi Pro League, with Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo both having also joined the league in the past six months.
There could also be another big name on the way, with Sadio Mane linked with a move to the Dammam-based club amid his rumoured exit from Bayern Munich this summer.
According to SportsZone, Mane is hoped to be signed by the club, with the 31-year-old hoped to be the next big name acquired by the Saudi Pro League.
However, the reunion could be an awkward one, after Gerrard warned Mane against leaving Liverpool last summer, with the Senegalese international ignoring his advice.
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Gerrard said on BT Sport after the last season's Champions League final, Mane's last game for the club: “[Mo]Salah has already said that he is going to be here next year, I know there is a bit of noise around Mane." He continued. “But why would you want to leave this Liverpool team because you know that they are going to be competitive in the business end of the season?”
Mane won the Bundesliga title with Bayern as Liverpool slipped to fifth place in the table. Meanwhile, Gerrard was sacked as Aston Villa manager with the club languishing in the relegation zone before the World Cup, before being replaced by Unai Emery, who guided them to seventh, two places behind Liverpool.
Sadio Mane and Steven Gerrard could be reunited in Saudi Arabia (Getty Images)However, with the Saudi Pro League's standing in world football, it would be a step down for them in the space of 12 months, with the current players in their squad including Tunisia international Naim Sliti, former Flamengo forward Vitinho and Sweden's Robin Quaison..
Last month, Gerrard had reportedly received an offer to become Olimpiacos manger, a move which he turned down. Now he appears set to return to management, fulfilling the wishes he outlined in January when working as a pundit for BT Sport, he said: "I wish I still was [in management].
"I think when you're around the pitch, in the stadium, you see the teams come in, you speak to Jurgen [Klopp], you get that buzz of a feeling of a matchday - I don't think I'll ever lose that or not want to be involved in that.
"I am enjoying it at the moment being around my family, watching football. I'm enjoying being back here today stress-free, but I think if you love the game and you've got it in your DNA you're always going to miss it."