Edouard Mendy has warned Liverpool how they could end up regretting selling Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich this summer.
With the 30-year-old’s contract due to expire at Anfield next summer, the Senegalese spurned talks in favour of pursuing a new challenge as he called time on his six-year Reds career to complete a £35m move to the Bundesliga outfit.
The Chelsea goalkeeper is well-aware of Mane ’s talents, with the duo starring players for Senegal and both playing a vital role in their Africa Cup of Nations victory earlier this year. And while praising his compatriot, Mendy warned Liverpool of the impact losing the forward could have on Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.
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“I think it is a big loss for the Premier League in terms of quality and in terms of the person,” the shot-stopper said. “We’ve lost someone great and I hope for him he will enjoy the Bundesliga.
“He’s also a big loss because of his quality, the impact he makes and also because, for the young players, he’s an example. When you lose someone like this it can have a huge impact.”
Meanwhile, Mendy was also asked about the challenge of facing Erling Haaland this summer after the Norwegian completed a £51m move to Man City from Borussia Dortmund. And he insisted he is not fazed by such a prospect as he bizarrely compared the prolific striker to former Reds transfer flop Christian Benteke, who was sold to Crystal Palace just a year after a £32.5m move to Anfield, to make his point.
“I study. I study a lot. It’s not about one striker or one team - we just have to focus on every striker, every team we play to win,” he said about his own preparations. “It’s not because it’s Haaland.
“I look at Haaland like I look at, say, Benteke at Palace - it’s not that different between Crystal Palace and City. You have to be focused because he is a striker and he can score.
“So I study. I study. We have our methods and I don’t need to say what they are. But I study a lot. A lot.”
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