REVEALED: How Sadio Mane ‘cost Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool a deal for Jeremy Doku’ as rivals Manchester City agree a £55m package to sign the 21-year-old winger from Rennes

Sadio Mane may have cost Liverpool the chance to sign Jeremy Doku for a reduced price of the fee agreed between Rennes and rivals Manchester City.

Mail Sport announced yesterday that Pep Guardiola’s side had accepted a £55 million offer for the 21-year-old.

Doku is currently one of the most exciting young players in Europe and has attracted interest from several big clubs including Tottenham, City, West Ham and Liverpool.

A graduate of Anderlecht’s academy, he currently practices his profession for Ligue 1 club Rennes, having joined the French team in 2020, notably scoring six goals in 29 league matches last season.

But the deal could come as a blow to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who reportedly had the chance to sign him for one-hundredth of the price Man City would pay for him when the winger was 15 years old.

Jürgen Klopp’s (mid) side were very close to agreeing to sign the winger at the age of 15

But according to Doku, a conversation with Sadio Mane (pictured) may have convinced him not to join the Reds

The winger had been given permission by his former club Anderlecht to travel from Belgium to Merseyside to meet Klopp and several of the team’s players.

One of these was Sadio Mane, who recently left the club for Bayern Munich and then moved to new pastures, joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Had Doku decided to join Liverpool he might have inherited Mane’s position on the wing, but the Senegal international may have urged the Belgium international not to join.

According to The mirrorKlopp was very keen to bring the winger to the club and was willing to pay £500,000 in compensation to Anderlecht for him.

In an attempt to convince him to join the Reds, as several other Premier League clubs circled the young talent, the German introduced him to some of the club’s top players, trying to convince Doku that Liverpool the right team for him.

“My sixteenth birthday was coming up, the age when you can sign a professional contract,” said Doku East France.

“A lot of teams came to me. Liverpool had the most concrete interest, but there was also Arsenal and Chelsea.

“I went (to Liverpool) with my mum and dad and we got a tour of the stadium, the training ground and even the school I was going to attend. They gave me a signed Salah shirt and I met the players.

‘I was able to consult with Jurgen, also with Gerrard, we watched some video moments and he talked about the development.

“We met players, (Simon) Mignolet because he was Belgian, (Georginio) Wijnaldum from the Netherlands.”

At the time, he spoke to Mane, who, as he claimed, did not go out of his way to persuade him to join the Reds, instead suggesting that he should continue to develop at Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League .

“I talked to Mane a lot, but we didn’t really talk about football. We talked about everything,’ the Belgian continued.

“He told me I was young, that I still had time…he didn’t try to convince me or tell me, ‘Come here, you can do it’.”

“So I preferred to be careful,” he added.

“I knew what my trajectory had to be. I knew which route to follow and I knew at that moment that I had to stay with Anderlecht.’

Doku (centre) graduated from Anderlecht’s youth system, but joined Ligue 1 side Rennes in 2020

Pep Guardiola’s (pictured) Manchester City have now agreed a £55 million deal to sign him from the French club

Interestingly, it may have worked out quite well for the young star, who won 14 caps for the Belgian seniors at the age of 21 and made his debut for Anderlecht at the age of 16.

Former Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has also spoken highly of the winger in the past, praising him as an ‘exceptional talent’.

He was then set to move from Anderlecht to Rennes in a deal worth around £22.5 million and it seems he has no regrets about not moving to the Premier League club at the age of 15.

“Once I’m asked if I regret (not joining Liverpool),” added Doku, “I always say no because if Liverpool came to me when I was 15 and they like me, they’ll come back later. Certainly. It’s up to me to play well.’

It appears he may have turned down a transfer to Liverpool, but is now lined up to join Manchester City, with Guardiola’s side eyeing him as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez.