Sadio Mane Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Potential Manchester United Move

Manchester United have reportedly turned their attention to Southampton forward Sadio Mane to strengthen their squad before the end of the summer transfer window, but the Saints are reportedly unwilling to part with him. 

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United Reportedly Bid for Mane; Southampton Deny Striker Available

Wednesday, Aug. 19 

Sky Sports News HQ reported that Southampton have denied Mane is for sale, despite United's interest. 

The Daily Telegraph's Jason Burt reported the Red Devils made their interest known in the 23-year-old clear earlier this summer:

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Southampton are understood to have received a surprise inquiry from Manchester United to sign Sadio Mane.

United are believed to have registered their interest last week with an initial bid which could partly explain why they stalled on completing a £21million move for Barcelona’s Pedro, who is now set to join Chelsea.

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Simon Jones and Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail added that the Old Trafford side had submitted a £15 million bid. 

Mane would be the third Southampton star to join United since last summer should he complete a move, following Luke Shaw and Morgan Schneiderlin to Old Trafford. Bleacher Report UK had to crack this joke:

The Senegal international scored a respectable 10 goals and registered three assists in his debut season with the Saints last year, per WhoScored.com. He impressed with his pace and trickery and is a natural fit out wide, although he can also slide inside.

United's reported interest in his services may come as a shock for some fans, and after spending the past few weeks being linked with the likes of Pedro, Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller and Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, not everyone will be happy to hear these rumours.

The London Evening Standard's Liam put it this way:

There's no denying the Red Devils could use some attacking reinforcements, having scored just a single goal so far during the 2015-16 Premier League campaign―Kyle Walker handed United the win over Tottenham Hotspur with an own goal.

Star striker Wayne Rooney struggled toward the end of last season and hasn't improved one bit during the summer, as shared by OptaJoe:

While it's too early to panic, the lack of attacking depth should have fans and manager Louis van Gaal worried. Memphis Depay was brilliant during the UEFA Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge, but the Dutchman is young and raw―it's wrong to expect him to play like that every week.

Behind Rooney, Javier Hernandez and the young James Wilson are the only real back-ups to lead the attack, and neither looks ready to step up should Rooney's form not improve or should the England international suffer an injury.

Mane is more of a winger than a pure forward, so he may not offer a solution to the striker conundrum. He would add depth, but with the likes of Depay, Adnan Januzaj, Andreas Pereira and Ashley Young, the Red Devils have plenty of players who can line up behind the main striker or move out on to the wing.

It's hard to see how Mane would fit into Van Gaal's plans, and as the Saints won't be willing to part with the talented forward cheaply, a cut-price deal seems out of the question. That said, he is a proven Premier League forward with the potential to grow, so perhaps this could be an investment for the future.

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