Sadio Mane visited Tottenham’s training ground for a potential switch in the summer of 2016 but his wage demands destroyed any hope of Spurs securing his signature. The Times claim that Tottenham ‘balked’ at his wage demands and decided against signing him.
Mane eventually moved to Anfield and has proved to be a success for Jurgen Klopp’s side, and has been a great success this season. He has been a huge asset for Liverpool and his absence for the club during the Africa Cup of Nations’17 has coincided with The Reds’ dismal run since the turn of the year.
Now that Sadio Mane is back, Liverpool are hoping for a turn in fortunes. Such has been his influence at his new club, something that he can be proud of.
Once his move to Tottenham collapsed, the club decided to sign Moussa Sissoko instead, and it hasn’t worked out well at all for Pochettino. Sissoko has not cemented his place in the Spurs XI and has struggled for form. It is possible that the manager wanted to sign a winger who is strong and also pacy on the flanks. Sadio Mane ticks all the boxes and it is logical they moved for him. However, when the move collapsed, they had no choice than to search for an alternative, eventually signing Sissoko.
While Mane has ample number of goals for Liverpool, Sissoko, on the other hand, has not scored for Tottenham and has registered only 2 assists this season.
Without doubt, Sadio Mane would have been a great signing for Tottenham and would have given a completely different dimension to their attack, had Tottenham decided to break their wage structure to land the Senegal star.
Now that the move hasn’t materialised and Tottenham’s summer signings failing this season, it’s high time the Argentine changes his approach during the transfer window and looks at better alternatives. Although the financial might of the Manchester clubs and Arsenal might prove to be too much a competition to handle, Spurs can nevertheless solve this issue with better scouting and planning.
It is safe to say they can draw inspiration from their North London rivals on this, who managed to survive many years of financial struggle and restriction through intelligent scouting.
For sure, this is a failed move that Pochettino will be regretting about and this news might come as a shock for the likes of Tottenham Fans as well.
