Liverpool missing the 'perfect attacker' who Jurgen Klopp allowed to leave

Sadio Mane is the 'perfect attacker', according to ex-Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold 

Liverpool may wish that they had a prime Sadio Mane in their team after his former Reds team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold hailed the Senegal star as the ‘perfect attacker’. Jurgen Klopp’s forwards have struggled for regular goals in recent weeks and drew a disappointing blank against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez all missed excellent opportunities to score as Liverpool succumbed to a first Premier League defeat at Anfield in 18 months. Midfielder Curtis Jones capped a woeful day in front of goal by chipping wide when one-on-one with goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Mane scored 120 goals for Liverpool at the height of the club’s success under Klopp. It was his and Salah’s combined 37 strikes that ended a 30-year wait for a Premier League title in 2019-20, and Roberto Firmino contributed a further nine. Liverpool have faltered while struggling to replace his output.

In a timely reminder of Mane’s ability when he was at the top of his game, Alexander-Arnold has named him as the one former team-mate he would hate to play against.

The right-back told The Overlap: “Sadio Mane is the one player that I played with that I’ve always thought, ‘I’m thankful that I didn’t have to play against him’.

Watch all the Premier League and Champions League drama unfold on TNT Sports

Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp allowed Sadio Mane to leave in 2022 

“He was the perfect attacker, he had everything. As an athlete, he was similar to Cristiano Ronaldo – he had the jump, was fast, could finish both feet, and was a threat at all times.”

Liverpool were perhaps right to sell Mane in the summer of 2022, with the forward demanding a new challenge. He lasted just a year at Bayern Munich and has scored only 10 goals in 26 appearances since joining Al-Nassr last summer.

He told the BBC at the time of his departure: "It was last year I took my decision to leave because I need a new challenge in my life.

"For me, it was the right time. I spoke with the coach (Klopp) one year ago and talked to him about my desire to leave. If you see my story, I came from a small town - my life was always a challenge, so I want to challenge myself all the time."