Liverpool have been linked this week with a move for Southampton star Sadio Mané, who has been the subject of intense transfer speculation for the last year.
There’s nothing wrong with that of course – Mané is an excellent Premier League player with bags of pace and end product to go with it.
But a weekend report suggests that Liverpool are prepared to swap out one of their bright young stars in order to get their man. The Sun says:
Liverpool happy to use Jordon Ibe as makeweight for Southampton’s Sadio Mane
20-year-old Ibe has played 58 times for Liverpool and scored 4 times in his young career. He hasn’t been particularly consistent but you could say that of most Premier League youngsters.
And there is no doubt that he has flickered brightly at times for Liverpool with his pace, power and direct running on and off the ball.
TFF has always been a big admirer of the Bermondsey-born battering ram and believe that it would be a mistake to offload the youngster at this stage of his career.
But Sadio Mané would represent an excellent addition to the Liverpool squad – even if it does increase the speculation about the future of Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho.
Coutinho has been linked with a move to PSG this summer and Mae is similar type of player. The Senegalese forward has been in sparkling form for Southampton over the last two years and brings goals, pace and creativity to The Saints front line.
The 24-year-old has played 75 times for Southampton, since signing from Red Bull Salzburg and has scored a very impressive 25 goals in that time.