Sadio Mane revealed he was ‘jealous’ when Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho in 2018.
The LaLiga giants signed the forward in a deal worth up to £142million during last season’s January transfer window.
Losing a player of such magnitude has not harmed Liverpool’s attacking threat, though, but Mane admitted his departure did leave a hole.
“He is a great, great player and I’m a little bit jealous that Barcelona got him,” said the Senegal international.
“I would love to see him again but we we are happy for him.
“He really enjoyed playing alongside his team-mates and gave everything, and is still young and can improve a lot.
“I know him, he is a hard worker. Hopefully tomorrow he will still be in bed when we play!”
Manager Jurgen Klopp is pleased with the way his side moved on from the Coutinho furore with very little fuss.
“Yes, we miss Phil Coutinho a lot because he is a world-class player and I loved working with him,” said the Reds boss.
“But we had to deal without him and we did well. When I first heard he wanted to go to Barcelona I couldn’t imagine we would do that good but we did.”
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Mane was asked by Spanish journalists about a potential move to LaLiga, having been linked with Barca’s arch-rivals Real Madrid in recent months.
“Very good question! You guys write it…” was the response.
“I respect LaLiga is a good league, they have great players, but the Premier League is also a wonderful league and every single player would want to play there.
“So I have a chance to play there and I am very happy, so that’s cool.”
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But Spanish football has already left a lasting impression on Mane, and one former Barcelona player in particular.
“Ronaldinho was one of my heroes. I really loved watching him play, especially here at Camp Nou,” he said.
“I would have loved to play against him. Him not being here now is an advantage for us! I still love him. He is still my hero forever.
“I loved his skills, his smile for sure. Maybe when I’m not smiling on the pitch people think I am angry. I would love to have his smile, but we’re not similar like that.”
Liverpool news: Sadio Mane was 'jealous' when Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho in January 2018. The Reds face the LaLiga side in the semi-final of the Champions League on Wednesday.
Liverpool news: Sadio Mane was 'jealous' when Barcelona
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane admits he was jealous when Barcelona lured team-mate Philippe Coutinho to the Nou Camp.. The Brazil international left in January 2018 in a deal worth up to £142m
Sadio Mane revealed he was 'jealous' when Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho in 2018. The LaLiga giants signed the forward in a deal worth up to £142million during last season's January transfer window.
Liverpool's Mane 'jealous' that Barcelona signed Coutinho
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane says former teammate Philippe Coutinho will be a star with Barcelona.The two attackers will face off on Wednesday night in the firs Liverpool ace Mane: I'm jealous
Liverpool FC's Sadio Mane makes shock Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool winger Sadio Mane says he is jealous of Barcelona for having a "great player" like Philippe Coutinho in their ranks, but hopes he is "still in bed" when their teams meet on Wednesday.
Sadio Mane "jealous" at Philippe Coutinho's Barcelona move
Liverpool news: Sadio Mane was 'jealous' when Barcelona
Liverpool star Sadio Mane has admitted he was jealous when Philippe Coutinho left to sign for Barcelona. The LaLiga giants signed the forward in a deal worth up to £142million during last season's January transfer window after chasing the Brazilian for over 12 months.
Liverpool's Mane 'jealous' that Barcelona signed Coutinho
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane admits he was jealous when Barcelona lured team-mate Philippe Coutinho to the Nou Camp. The Brazil international left in January 2018 in a deal worth up to £
Liverpool news: Sadio Mane was 'jealous' when Barcelona
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane admits he was jealous when Barcelona lured team-mate Philippe Coutinho to the Nou Camp.. The Brazil international left in January 2018 in a deal worth up to £
Liverpool ace Mane: I'm jealous Barcelona signed Coutinho
Sadio Mane revealed he was 'jealous' when Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho in 2018. The LaLiga giants signed the forward in a deal worth up to £142million during last season's January transfer window. Losing a player of such magnitude has not harmed Liverpool's attacking threat, though, but Mane admitted his departure did leave a hole.
Liverpool star Mane makes big Coutinho transfer claim
Date published: Wednesday 1st May 2019 7:12 Liverpool forward Sadio Mane admits he became jealous while Barcelona lured crew-mate Philippe Coutinho to the Nou Camp.The Brazil foreign left in January 2018 in a deal value as much as £142million after failing to force a circulation through six months earlier.Liverpool coped smartly with the disruption created by the playmaker's move request and
Liverpool star Sadio Mane jealous of Barcelona for having
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