After the end of the 2022 season, Liverpool made a decision that sparked extensive discussion and demonstrated strategic foresight at the time - to let go of Mane and instead firmly choose to renew their contract with Salah. It is worth noting that after the African Cup of Nations and Ramadan that season, Salah did not maintain his heroic performance from the first half of the year, and it was precisely thanks to Mane that the team could compete for titles in both the Champions League and the Premier League. Now, as time has passed, the correctness of this decision has been proven to be incredibly clear.
Salah, the Egyptian star, has consistently shown his superior dominance in the two seasons following his renewal. In the 2022-23 season, Salah played 38 times in the Premier League for Liverpool, scoring 19 goals and providing 12 assists. In the 2023-24 season, Salah played 44 times in various competitions for Liverpool, scoring 25 goals and providing 14 assists. His goal-scoring methods are diverse and varied, whether it's long-range shots, poaching, or dribbling breakthroughs followed by shots, all of which make him difficult for opponents to defend against. His speed, technique, and sense of smell in front of the goal remain at the level of the world's top forwards, playing an indispensable role in the team's offensive system.
On the other hand, Mane, after transferring to Bayern Munich, did not achieve the expected development. In his first season with Bayern Munich (2022-2023), he played 38 times but only scored 12 goals. Moreover, Mane, who rarely missed games due to injury while at Liverpool, frequently encountered injuries at Bayern. Not only that, during his time at Bayern, Mane also got involved in conflicts with teammate Sane. There were multiple instances of discord and disharmony between the two during training and matches. This not only affected the atmosphere within the team but also interfered with Sane's game state to a certain extent. These off-field factors, coupled with his own ups and downs in form, have caused many obstacles to Mane's development at Bayern. At a time when a player should be in their prime and pursuing glory and brilliance, he made the decision to go to Saudi Arabia to seek wealth prematurely.
Liverpool's decision to let go of Mane was based on a comprehensive consideration of various factors such as the construction of the team's future tactical system and the assessment of the players' state and potential. Salah's stable performance and continuous progress stand in stark contrast to Mane's downward trend. This incident has also made all football clubs clearly realize that when making decisions about player transfers and renewals, they need to possess keen insight and a long-term planning perspective. Only in this way can they maintain competitiveness in the fierce competition of European football and shape a true champion team. Today, Liverpool, under the leadership of Salah, is steadily moving towards more honors, while Mane's story has become a footnote to this decision in comparison.