Sadio Mane snubs Mohamed Salah when asked to name best Liverpool finisher
In a strange move, Sadio Mane, who used to play for Liverpool, chose Divock Origi, a fan favorite, over his former teammate Mohamed Salah when asked to name the best finisher he has played with in his career.
Mane was part of a potent attacking trio with Salah and Roberto Firmino that helped Liverpool win the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, and numerous other titles under manager Jurgen Klopp.
Despite Salah’s impressive goal-scoring record of 174 goals for Liverpool, Mane opted for Origi instead.
When posed the question on TikTok by 1teamsports, Sadio Mane took a brief pause before ultimately choosing former Liverpool striker Divock Origi as the best finisher he has played with.
Despite only scoring 41 goals in 175 appearances for Liverpool, Origi achieved cult hero status after scoring a memorable goal against Barcelona in the Champions League and performing well in Merseyside derbies.
Mane’s endorsement of Origi as a top finisher has been supported by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Speaking last season after Origi had once again scored against Everton, the German said: “He [Origi] is a legend on and off the pitch. Fantastic footballer, a world class striker and is our best finisher.
“Everyone would say the same. You see this in training. It is a really hard decision to make to leave him out. Everyone loves Divock here.”
Despite both Mane and Klopp endorsing Origi as a top finisher, his career has taken a downturn since leaving Liverpool. Origi joined AC Milan on a free transfer after his contract with Liverpool expired, but the 27-year-old has only managed to score two goals in 21 appearances across all competitions since joining the Italian club.
In fact, he has been labeled as the worst signing of the season in Serie A. While Origi was the player that Mane ultimately chose, other former Liverpool teammates also received mentions.
In addition to naming Divock Origi as the best finisher he has played with and Jordan Henderson as the best leader, Sadio Mane was also asked to name the best defender he has played alongside.
While Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk would have been a strong contender, Mane chose his Senegalese teammate Kalidou Koulibaly, who had a successful stint with Italian club Napoli.
However, Koulibaly has faced difficulties adapting to the Premier League since his transfer to Chelsea in the summer.
Sadio Mane snubs Mohamed Salah when asked to name best Liverpool finisher
