Your morning digest for Wednesday, July 6
Cristiano Ronaldo could make Sadio Mane regret Liverpool exit
Sadio Mane’s decision to depart Liverpool has certainly caused debate in the footballing world. On one hand, the Senegalese was a key man for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, starting virtually every game, scoring goals for fun and in the best possible place to win further silverware.
On the other hand, he has played in the Premier League for eight seasons, won every major honour going at Anfield, and, having recently celebrated his 30th birthday, was well within his rights to seek a new challenge with nothing left to prove as, with his contract up in 2023, he negotiated the biggest deal of his career.
READ MORE: Raheem Sterling may have shown Liverpool the truth about Mohamed Salah's contract
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo could make Sadio Mane regret Liverpool exit
Then, of course, there was the Mohamed Salah factor. While talk of a feud between the attacking duo was always wide of the mark, despite the occasional on-field spat, they were inevitably competing for Anfield centre stage. And given the Egyptian’s superior goalscoring record, only one man was going to come out on top when it came to being Liverpool ’s leading man.
Mane is a Reds legend. With Premier League, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup winners’ medals packed away in his suitcase as he departed for Munich, how could he not be? But as good as his record of 120 goals in 269 appearances for Liverpool was, Salah’s of 156 goals in 254 appearances is significantly better.
So a penny for his thoughts when, less than two weeks after his move to Munich, Bayern found themselves linked with a move for Cristiano Ronaldo. If you thought Salah’s presence at Liverpool was stealing Mane’s thunder, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
Read the full story here.
Liverpool set for midfield boost after breaking transfer rules for £25m signing
If Liverpool have a transfer policy that is broadly stuck to, Thiago Alcantara was very much the exception to the rule.
It's two years in September since the Reds made one of their most opportunistic moves of the Jurgen Klopp era by signing the midfielder from Bayern Munich for a £25m sum.
That he was into the last year of his terms and desiring a fresh challenge e nabled Liverpool to snare the decorated midfield maestro from Bayern at the time. The fact they had proven they could compete for and win the the biggest trophies in the game will have undoubtedly helped too.
Joining at the age of 29, Thiago 's arrival broke with tradition of Liverpool's recruitment department who tend not to look too long at footballers over the age of 25.
Even more so when the Spain international's wages are factored into the equation. It's believed the former Barcelona and Bayern star became one of the club's biggest earners at around £200,000 a week when he moved from Germany.
Read the full story here.
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