Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich phenom Sadio Mane of late to underscore the meteoric rise of the club over the past season or so, now formidable Champions League contenders after previously languishing as relegation candidates.
This month, German newspaper BILD (via Caught Offside) have linked Mane with a move back to the Premier League after signing for the Bavaria giants for £35m last summer, leaving Liverpool after years of illustrious success under Jurgen Klopp.
Newcastle and Manchester United have been credited with an interest for the distinguished and Premier League-proven star, who could cost just £30m after a somewhat inauspicious spell in the German Bundesliga, and given the Toon have secured a top-four finish this year, the allure factor has returned to St. James' Park and Mane may well be enticed.
And recently, in cryptic fashion, the 31-year-old left a tantalising message to play on the Magpies' minds when questioned on his future while on international duty, saying "never say never" when asked about a possible move to Newcastle.
Should Newcastle sign Sadio Mane?
Considering the current state of play on Tyneside, there is every possibility that world-class stars such as Mane would be attracted to the possibility of moving to the club to take on a central role in Eddie Howe's project.
Candidly, Newcastle look destined for the very top after the lucrative takeover in 2021, and with the manner in which the outfit have worked across the park, diligent decisions and tactical brilliance from a footballing standpoint allude to a prosperous future at the forefront of the game.
Mane would bring instantaneous success and striking potency of a calibre that perhaps no other United ace could quite match; Callum Wilson is a prolific striker; Alexander Isak is dynamic, but Mane offers the whole gamut and has left a trail of devastation in his wake across the duration of his career.
The £363k-per-week gem scored 111 goals for Liverpool from 263 outings, also assisting 48 times, and captivated fans with his displays, leaving former boss Jurgen Klopp hailing him as "world-class" and as a "machine".
Typically found on the offensive left flank, the 95-cap AFCON champion's arrival at St. James' Park would surely spell danger for Anthony Gordon, who has not quite found his feet since completing a £45m transfer from Everton this January.
The 22-year-old scored against Chelsea on the final day of the Premier League season to finally break his duck after 16 appearances and has indeed offered glimpses of high-class promise for Howe's outfit, but given his positional preference aligns with Mane's, it could prove detrimental to his development.
European competition will at least provide greater opportunity for players to impress at Newcastle, but with such a superlative acquisition, Gordon will surely have to play with impeccable style to ensure that his manager keeps the faith.
If he doesn't, then a player of Mane's calibre would no doubt easily displace him.
