Fabinho concedes he tried to convince Sadio Mane to stay put before he eventually quit Anfield and ended his six-year stay at Liverpool.
The Senegal star decided to pursue a new challenge and headed to Bayern Munich this summer with his contact winding down on Merseyside. Liverpool convinced Mo Salah to pen a new deal but could not do likewise with Mane and he opted to leave despite being a hugely popular and influential figure.
Mane was seeking a pay upgrade that he could not achieve at Liverpool and had teased his exit before he eventually did leave for Germany. The forward helped deliver Premier League and Champions League titles during his time but Fabinho accepted that his former teammate wanted to take on new goals after a private discussion.
“At the end of the season, I spoke a lot with Sadio. He told me about the situation that he could leave,” Fabinho told the Athletic. “I was always saying to him, ‘Come on Sadio, stay here. You can win the Premier League and the Champions League right here, don’t leave’. But I think he had already made his mind up. We had to respect that.
“Sadio had a really good story in a Liverpool shirt. He played for six years here and during that time he won everything you can win and he decided that he wanted a new challenge. That’s OK." Mane will play a key role in the Bayern attack, especially after the departure of Robert Lewandowski.
Liverpool have signed Darwin Nunez for a club-record fee to replace Mane, but the Uruguayan has big shoes to fill. Fabinho was well aware of the 30-year-old's possible departure when the season ended, but held out hope that he may change his mind. In the end Mane decided it was best to move on.
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"When my agent first told me about Bayern's interest, I was immediately excited,” he has told BILD about his move. “I saw myself there right away. It's one of the biggest clubs in the world and the team is always fighting for every title. So for me it was a very good idea and the right decision to come here."
Mane was hugely prolific whilst at Liverpool, picking up the Golden Boot in 2019. Last term he scored 23 times with his overall total standing at 120 when he left. Klopp said upon his departure: “He leaves with our gratitude and our love. He leaves with his status among the greats guaranteed. And, yes, he leaves in a moment where he is one of the best players in world football."
