Liverpool have been dealt a massive blow as Sadio Mane has reportedly requested a move away from Anfield. Jurgen Klopp certainly is no stranger to losing big members of his squad, with many stars being poached while he was at Borussia Dortmund – and it may mean he has to alter his approach like he did when Philippe Coutinho left.
Klopp is reportedly seeking replacements for Mane, with the Senegalese forward closing in on a move to Bayern Munich.
But simply replacing Mane may not be possible, as the forward is one of a kind. Mane is versatile and has not only done a stunning job out wide for Liverpool, but he has also been a great asset in a central area for Klopp’s side.
The only other major blow that Klopp has endured since arriving at Liverpool is when Coutinho left Anfield for Barcelona, and it caused him to reshape the whole squad. And replacing Mane may not be an option, as Klopp could look to repeat his earlier trick with Coutinho following his earlier comments.
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“You cannot replace Phil Coutinho with exactly the same kind of player,” Klopp said. “He’s Phil Coutinho. He has a specific style of play, tactically an outstanding player, can play as the wing, the 10, the eight—really great.
“I don’t want to put one of my players in the position where people will say constantly: ‘He’s the Phil replacement’. We don’t need to replace Phil. We need to make a squad for the next year.
But Mane’s exit could lead Klopp to reshaping his squad yet again, as he prefers to steer clear of an obvious replacement. Mane is one of the best players in the world, and simply finding a new star is no easy task.
So perhaps altering the squad to find the best solution for what he has left may be his preferred method. And with a midfielder still targeted by Liverpool, the Reds may bring back the no.10 role, for the first time in four years since Coutinho left.