‘That tweet has not aged well.’
Jamie Carragher has admitted that his reaction to Sadio Mane’s transfer to Liverpool in 2016 “has not aged well” after he questioned the fee.
The Senegal international signed for the Reds from Southampton during Jurgen Klopp’s first summer of recruitment. Despite impressing for the Saints, many people – including Carragher – questioned why Liverpool spent more than £30m to secure his services.
Mane, who became one of the Merseyside club’s most expensive signings, scored on his debut as the Reds beat Arsenal 4-3 in the Premier League. Since his opening strike, the 30-year-old has scored 119 goals and registered 48 assists in 266 appearances for Liverpool – winning the Super Cup, Carabao Cup, Champions League, Premier League and Club World Cup.
Carragher admits old tweet ‘hasn’t aged well’
Now, nearly six years after Carragher tweeted about Mane’s move to Anfield, the Liverpool legend has – happily – confessed that he couldn’t have been more wrong.
He wrote in The Telegraph : “When Mane joined Liverpool in June, 2016, I gave my immediate verdict on the deal via social media. ‘I think £30 million is expensive,’ I wrote. That tweet has not aged well. Neither have many of the responses agreeing with it. There was a consensus that Mane was overpriced.
“His fee from Southampton was widely reported to be £37m. When I spoke to Liverpool’s chief executive at the time, Ian Ayre, he was keen to stress the cost was nearer £32m. The distinction was important because the higher figure would have made Mane Liverpool’s most expensive ever signing.
“And many recent record Anfield purchases such as Christian Benteke and Andy Carroll had failed to live up to their price tag. It shows how unsure I was about how good Mane was that the cost of the deal was concerning.”
He then added: “Today, it seems ridiculous for supporters or pundits to be quibbling over that extra £5m for Mane.
“Whatever he cost Liverpool, he was a bargain. He was the first big purchase of the Klopp era and has set the tone for the excellent recruitment ever since.”
Carragher backs Mane for Ballon d’Or glory
The Sky Sports pundit also suggested that Mane is the Premier League’s most likely Ballon d’Or winner, ahead of teammate Mohamed Salah. The Senegal forward finished fourth in the 2019 standings.
