Like any cliché, the phrase ‘no player is bigger than the club’ is overused whilst being undoubtedly true. Whether they move on to a new team or retire, they all leave in the end.
Even so, Liverpool have begun their pre-season preparations without Sadio Mane for the first time under Jurgen Klopp. The Senegalese forward left for Bayern Munich on the back of his second-best scoring season with the club. As promising as Darwin Nunez looks, it can’t be taken for granted that he will replace Mane’s goal output in its entirety in 2022/23.
Of course, the Reds have played and won matches without Sadio before, and they will do so again. A relatively insignificant match from two years ago this week was one such example and it might provide Liverpool with an effective blueprint for how to be successful next season.
