Sadio Mane has revealed why he turned down the chance to join Manchester United, admitting he was unconvinced by Louis van Gaal's plans for him before eventually signing for Liverpool.

The Senegalese forward disclosed that Van Gaal personally called him in an attempt to convince him to move to Old Trafford.

However, after expressing his interest, Mane told the Dutch manager he would discuss the offer with his agent before making a decision.

Van Gaal called me and said I want you to come to Manchester United. I said, 'Okay, I'm talking to my agent. We'll see what's best," he recalled.

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Van Gaal then attempted to sell his vision for the club but Mané's biggest concern was whether he would get regular playing time at Old Trafford, given the quality of United's attacking options at the time.

"I asked him, ‘You have Depay, Rooney, Di Maria and Van Persie, where am I going to play?' Because for me, I wanted to play,” he said.

Although Van Gaal reassured him that opportunities would come if he impresses them in training, the explanation failed to convince the future Liverpool star.

"He said, I know your talent. If you train well and impress, you'll play. But we also have other very good players. I wasn't convinced by his explanation,” he added.

Just days later, Mane received a phone call from Jürgen Klopp, a conversation that ultimately led him to Anfield, where he became one of Liverpool's greatest modern-day players.

Watch the video below:

Manchester United called Sadio Mané before Liverpool... here's why he turned them down.

"Van Gaal called me. He said, "Mane, how are you? What are you doing? I want you to come to Manchester United."

I said, "Really?" He said, "Yeah."

I said, "Okay, I'm talking to my agent.… pic.twitter.com/cEH2W7ulsp

— HK (@HKFinalThird) July 17, 2026