Barcelona eye shock move for Liverpool star to begin life without Lionel Messi
Barcelona are already making plans for life without Lionel Messi. Adding this Liverpool superstar would provide a massive boost to Ronald Koeman.
No single player has the ability to replace Lionel Messi at Barcelona. That doesn’t mean the La Liga giants aren’t going to try to build a better squad without him next season. Prying Sadio Mane away from Liverpool could be just what Ronald Koeman needs to remake the squad in his image.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Mane’s entourage has already floated the idea of the Senegalese attacker moving from Anfield to Camp Nou this summer. It would take a massive fee for Barcelona to convince Liverpool to part with their key man, but the club will likely sanction several big-money moves to help cover up for the potential loss of Messi.
Mane is an excellent fit for the style Koeman wants to implement. He isn’t the most prolific attacker in Europe, but his work rate in front of goal is exceptional. Perhaps more importantly, Mane is also outstanding without the ball. Koeman clearly wants Barcelona to become a tougher, better-pressing team next season. Adding a player of Mane’s style and quality would help bring the rest of his squad in line.
The challenge, of course, is that Liverpool are in no mood to lose Mane. He’s an internal part of the team and ethos that Jurgen Klopp has constructed at the Premier League club. Mohamed Salah might score more goals, but many fans at Anfield understand that Mane is the engine that really powers the club’s ruthless attack. He might be the most difficult player in Klopp’s squad to replace this summer if he were to move to Barcelona.
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At the very least, Liverpool will ask Barcelona to pay an exorbitant transfer fee to push a deal over the line. It’s highly likely that Barcelona officials will decide they can spend their money on a younger, cheaper alternative that would still satisfy Koeman and the club’s passionate fan base. The odds are stacked against Mane moving to Barcelona even if it’s something he and his entourage are interested in.