Could any of these African All-Stars step into the Senegal superstars’ shoes at Anfield?
Sadio Mane set to depart?
One of the major African transfer sagas of the summer is set to surround Sadio Mane and his future, with the Liverpool superstar reportedly indicating to the club that he is not intending to sign a new deal at Anfield.
As Senegal forward enters the final year of his deal, his intention leaves the Reds with a big decision to make; do they cash in on the forward now or hold onto him until the end of his deal in 2023?
Should Mane leave Merseyside this summer, he will surely be virtually impossible to replace, but could any of these five African All-Stars help ease the blow of losing one of Africa’s all-time greats?
Victor Osimhen
Not a similar player to Mane, but Osimhen would certainly give Liverpool a focal point in attack and could offer a different dimension to the Reds’ forward line.
He’s coming off the back of a season in which he netted 14 goals for Napoli in the Italian top flight—the best scoring campaign of his career—and at 23, appears primed to become one of the world’s finest strikers in the coming years.
Arsenal are reportedly considering the forward’s services this summer, so Premier League audiences may get to see Osimhen on English shores before too long.
Wilfried Zaha
Capable of thriving in the left-hand channel or even through the middle, Zaha is also coming off the back of the best campaign of his career after scoring 14 for Crystal Palace.
He found a new level under Patrick Vieira, still proving he’s at the top of his game, and at 29, Zaha should have a few more peak years ahead of him.
Does he still have one more big move left in the tank as well?
After failing to make his mark at Manchester United and having been passed over by Arsenal, Zaha still has a point to prove at one of Europe’s giants.
Emmanuel Dennis
Only last year, Liverpool was reportedly on the brink of a £35 million move for Ismaila Sarr, only for the deal to fall through at the death.
The Senegal Wideman’s stock has fallen in recent months—he hasn’t scored since November—but one of his Watford teammates has demonstrated enough to suggest that he deserves to remain in the Premier League despite the Hornets’ relegation.
West Ham United is understood to be keen on the Super Eagles attacker, but Liverpool may well want to take a look at an attacker who had a hand in 16 goals—only two fewer than Mane—during his debut Premier League season.
Sebastien Haller
Back in March, SI reported that Liverpool was considering a summer move for Ajax frontman Haller in light of the striker’s magnificent performances both in the Netherlands and Europe this season.
In light of Mane’s potential exit—and reported interest in Haller from Manchester United—Liverpool may well need to intensify their interest in the West Ham United flop if they’re serious about bringing him to Anfield.
Haller finished the Champions League campaign as the tournament’s third-highest scorer—behind only Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema—and has already scored 32 goals across a season and a half in the Eredivisie.
Kamaldeen Sulemana
Unlike a few of the other players on this list, Sulemana is still far from being the finished article, and he’d need time to develop at Anfield.
Nonetheless, the Wideman has immense potential—as he’s demonstrated for both Ghana and Stade Rennais—and was even reportedly on Jurgen Klopp’s radar before moving to Ligue 1.
Liverpool was rumored to still be keen on the Wideman as recently as late 2021, and he could be an ideal option to understudy Mane for a season should the Senegal superstar ultimately opt to see out his current contract.
Source: goal.com