John Barnes believes Sadio Mane's lack of Liverpool longevity will exclude him from legendary status if he leaves this summer.
And the iconic former Reds winger reckons Mane's future won't have any impact on Mohamed Salah's own situation as contract speculation over the Egyptian goes on at Anfield.
Mane has yet to inform Liverpool of his desire to leave but it's understood the club are braced for offers from Bayern Munich this summer as they look to take advantage of the Senegal star's contract issue. The 23-goal frontman is into the final 12 months of terms he signed in November 2018 and is believed to be contemplating his future at Liverpool after six years.
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Barnes, who won five major honours during his time with the Reds, thinks Mane will not go down as one of the greatest frontmen in the club's history should he leave this summer after six years.
Instead, the former England winger likened Mane's time with the Reds to that of Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres, who were both adored during their Anfield pomp by supporters before leaving the club.
“When it comes to Sadio Mane being an all-time Liverpool great like Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish or Steven Gerrard, you have to remember that those players were all at the club for 10-15 years," Barnes told BonusCodeBets.
“It’s Sadio’s sixth year at Liverpool, and in terms of the success he’s had he’s been a fantastic servant to Liverpool Football Club, winning the Premier League and Champions League.
“You have to look at Mane like Fernando Torres; where would Torres have been if he had stayed for 10 years? The same as Luis Suarez. You have to be at one club, for a particular length of time to be mentioned in the same light. His impact at the club will leave him rated very highly though."
On Salah's contract situation, Barnes said: "Sadio Mane [potentially] leaving Liverpool will have nothing to do with Liverpool’s contract negotiations for Mohamed Salah.
“Just because Mane might leave, it won’t push the club into giving Salah a four-year contract and whatever money he wants. They are individual deals and won’t bare any impact on one another.
“If Salah goes before Mane, that also won’t mean it’s imperative to change their wage structure to keep Mane, just because Salah walks. The club must do what’s right for themselves.
“Reports state Sadio Mane is going to leave Liverpool, and it’ll clearly be the end of their famed front three. How long Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah stay as well will depend on if they sign new contracts. Kylian Mbappe was also supposed to leave Paris Saint-Germain, but changed his mind at the last moment.
“If Mane does leave, the club still have Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota to play alongside Firmino and Salah. If Salah doesn't sign a new deal, then Liverpool will have to look for another player, but they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it.”
