What Cristiano Ronaldo said to Sadio Mané after agreeing to leave Liverpool

Sadio Mane has revealed that he received a message from former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo following his departure from Liverpool

Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo told him his move to Bayern Munich was a “big step”.

The Senegalese striker ended his spell at Anfield in the summer when he made a £35m transfer to the Bundesliga giants. Jurgen Klopp’s side had rejected two offers before accepting the fee ending a six-year spell at Merseyside following a £34m transfer from Southampton.

His final season with the Reds came as they chased down an unprecedented four-way before claiming Carabao Cup and FA Cup success. Mane’s most skilled season came when he helped end a 30-year wait to win the Premier League, with 22 goals. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Liverpool star were rivals last season when Ronaldo played for Manchester United. The 38-year-old was said to have wanted to sign for Bayern and when Mane moved to Bavaria he was congratulated on the transfer of him.

“That says it all about the Bundesliga and underlines what I said: I think you underestimate the Bundesliga here,” Mane told BILDSport. “Recent performances in the Champions League prove it.

“I met Cristiano Ronaldo for this season in Mallorca after my transfer was completed. He congratulated me and said: ‘A great club. This is a big step for you.'”

It was a stop-start debut campaign in Germany for the 30-year-old, who has been forced to struggle with injury concerns. With a leg injury, he missed Senegal’s World Cup run and subsequent season in Qatar, and recently returned for Julian Nagelsman.

Also…

Harry Kane names Liverpool player who was sold as second best in the world, only Lionel Messi higher

Harry Kane has placed a former Liverpool player just behind Lionel Messi in his ranking of the best in the world, signaling a possible transfer mistake.

What’s wrong with Liverpool this season? That’s the million dollar question, but many of the problems seem to be rooted in the transfer market.

There is a broad consensus that Liverpool needed to invest (by last summer) in the midfield department, with securing Jude Bellingham now more or less a minimum requirement for a quick return to the top.

But alongside a lack of income, some have pointed to the various transfer expenses sanctioned by Jurgen Klopp. And if his FIFA Best Awards vote is anything to go by, Harry Kane can subscribe to that opinion.

Kane placed eventual winner Lionel Messi at the top of the pile – hardly a big surprise. But his choice of second place will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows.

The man who apparently holds Kane in high regard is Sadio Mane.

The FIFA Best awards would be based on performances in the most recent season, although Messi’s victory suggests players have inevitably been influenced by more recent events, especially the World Cup. However, with Mane out injured for much of his stay at Bayern Munich, it seems Kane followed the process well, acknowledging the Senegalese star’s achievements with club and country the previous season.

Mane led Liverpool to a domestic cup double and looked to make it quadruple. His form in the second half of the season was essential to keep the attack alive on all fronts. For Senegal he delivered the African Cup, also qualifying for the World Cup.

Of course, Kane voting Mane the second best player in the world will inevitably raise new questions about whether Liverpool made a transfer error. But if the 30-year-old still plays at Anfield, it would just be an added part of the aging problem, and his injury woes this season suggest he’s also been feeling the effects of sustained intensity under Klopp.

Either way, it’s a nice accolade for Mané to be rated so highly by one of his colleagues. And it has to be said that Kane has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League over the past five years, which makes the praise for the former Liverpool player all the more significant.

Mane finished sixth in the overall FIFA Best rankings. In addition to Messi, the top three were completed by Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema.