Sadio Mane contract a statement for Liverpool, says Jurgen Klopp
Friday 23 November 2018 14:06, UK
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the club have made a statement by signing forward Sadio Mane to a new contract.
The new deal for the 26-year-old, which was announced on Thursday, will see him remain at Anfield until 2023, Sky Sports News understands.
Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho previously made big-money moves away from Liverpool to Barcelona, but Klopp is confident the club's best players will no longer be looking to leave.
"I'm really pleased, really happy about the fact that he's signed this contract," Klopp said.
"It's a big signing. If a player's in a very good moment in his career and you can extend the contract that's more than the signing, that's a statement.
"It shows a bit of the change the club did in the last few years. I think a few years ago it constantly happened that players in a very good moment thought they had to leave the club to make the next step and obviously now our boys think the next step they can make here and that's good."
With the other members of Liverpool's attacking trio, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, also signed to long-term deals, Klopp's squad is well-placed to challenge for major honours.
Mane has scored 40 goals in 89 games for Liverpool since moving from Southampton for £34m in the summer of 2016.
The Senegal international has started all but one league game, which he missed through injury, during Liverpool's unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
Liverpool, who sit two points behind champions Manchester City, return to action after the international break against Watford on Saturday.
With the busiest period of the English season set to commence, Klopp is pleased to welcome back captain Jordan Henderson from a hamstring strain.
"He is ready to play," Klopp said. "In the moment it looks like we have pretty much a full squad."
"The long-term injuries of course and Adam Lallana has a minor thing that makes him not available for the weekend but all the rest came back healthy from the internationals."
