Jürgen Klopp wonders about Sadio Mané’s loss of form since his Liverpool departure. He still has a lot to do in the transfer market – and a similar goal to Thomas Tuchel
Before FC Bayern test against Liverpool FC on Wednesday, Thomas Tuchel and Jürgen Klopp spoke to the media in Singapore on Tuesday and there were two parallels: Both expressed their desire for a new defensive midfielder – and regretted Sadio Mané’s development.
A year after he still played in the Champions League final, the Senegalese – with some regret – is about to leave Bayern for Al-Nasr in Saudi Arabia. While Tuchel recounted his last conversation with the Senegalese, Klopp wondered why Mané lost his form in Munich.
Klopp on Mané: “Honestly don’t know what went wrong “
“I honestly don’t know what went wrong,” Liverpool’s head coach said. “Sadio left us on a high, in really good form, a world-class player. There is no doubt about that. Everyone at the club would say exactly the same. But a new environment, a new situation, new expectations … I don’t know. I didn’t talk about it with Sadio. We had contact, but not in that way. Everything has to be right for you to fulfil your potential, a bit of luck helps too, and obviously that wasn’t the case. “
First and foremost, the injury just before the World Cup was a “terrible moment”, Klopp said. “We all knew it would have an impact because Sadio is a very proud man. Not being able to lead his country to the World Cup was brutal for him, definitely. “
Klopp, like Tuchel, wants another six-man
Even though he has not been his protégé for a year, Klopp had to say goodbye to the third player to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, where captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho had already moved in recent days. This is one of the reasons why the Reds are still desperately looking for a new central midfielder, with Romeo Leiva of Southampton FC still the top favourite.
He has “no proven six-man” in the squad at the moment, Klopp said, repeating in some ways what Tuchel had said moments earlier. “We don’t have a real defensive six who thinks very defensively, who makes sure nothing happens back there, who is more concerned with protecting his own defence,” said the Bayern coach, who would therefore have liked to bring in Declan Rice (from West Ham to Arsenal) in this transfer phase.
