Why Liverpool should look to include Gnabry in any deal for Mane

 

On the face of it, Bayern Munich's reported £25m bid to sign Sadio Mane could be seen as derogatory by Liverpool. Mane was crucial for the Reds last season as he helped them to the Carabao and FA Cup, while running Manchester City all the way in the Premier League and firing Jurgen Klopp's side to the Champions League final. 

 

However, Mane turned 30 in April and has a year left to run on his current contract, so one can appreciate Bayern's offer as they seek to revamp their frontline. That said, it's easy to see why Liverpool are holding out for more for Mane. Since his arrival from Southampton, the Senegal international has been integral to the Reds. He has transformed his game accordingly to shine from the right, left and, most recently, through the middle and not let his performance levels drop. 

 

It'll be sad for Liverpool fans to see the back of Mane, but with Luis Diaz already on the books, they at least have the former's successor for the left flank. The issue now is strengthening accordingly while capitalising upon a player whose value is depreciating and if Liverpool are looking to maximise any disharmony within the Bayern camp, then the least they can do is ask for Serge Gnabry in return if, or when, Mane leaves for Munich. 

 

Despite starting 25 times in the Bundesliga last season, Gnabry is unlikely to be a Bayern player at the end of the summer transfer window with the German set to follow Robert Lewandowski out of the Allianz exit. His current deal, like Mane, expires next summer and with talks supposedly at an impasse, it is within Bayern's best interests to cash in on Gnabry this summer, or at least use him as a makeweight in their bid to land the Senegalese star. 

 

While Gnabry and Mane largely operate on opposite flanks for their respective teams, it's worth noting that all of the latter's 26 league starts in his debut campaign at Anfield came from the right before Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah in 2017, and it was only then that Mane moved over to the left. The vast majority of Gnabry's starts for Bayern last season came from the right flank, but he does have the versatility to play off the left, and through the middle as he has done for Germany on a number of occasions. 

 

Of course, his best form does come from the right, a spot occupied by Salah, though with his contract also up in a year's time, Liverpool have a decision to make on the Egyptian sooner rather than later. Back to Gnabry, he does have the talent to succeed as a wide forward in Jurgen Klopp's system. The German boasts a statistically calculated WhoScored style of play of 'likes to cut inside' and with nine of his 14 league goals last season coming with his right foot - the other five coming with his left - he could certainly make the role his own, especially with the willingness to drift in field opening up space for the full-backs to overlap. 

 

That being said, Diaz already has the left wing spot nailed down at Anfield, yet with the Colombian also prepared to drift in-field, the January arrival and Gnabry have the potential to dovetail nicely across the frontline that would make them impossible to keep tabs on. Liverpool fans may be a little concerned at the lack of assists, with Gnabry registering just five last season, two of which came in a memorable performance against VfB Stuttgart last December, yet it's not for want of trying from the 26-year-old. 

 

A return of 47 key passes from open play was the seventh best in the division, while 17 clear-cut goalscoring chances created ranked third in Germany's top tier last term. In addition, any attacker for Liverpool need to work tirelessly off the ball in order to succeed under Klopp. The Reds won possession in the attacking third more times (287) than any other Premier League team last season, with Salah (28) and Diogo Jota (25) each ranking among the top 20 players for this metric in 2021/22. 

 

 

In this instance, Gnabry again excels, with the Bayern star winning possession in the attacking third more times (39) than any other player in the Bundesliga last season. This is an ever-growing important trait for any attacking player with the modern day head coach demanding his team press to help defend from the front, and crucially force opponents into mistakes that can be capitalised upon as an additional avenue for goals. 

 

That said, Liverpool woudn't have a straight shot at Gnabry, with Premier League rivals Arsenal credited with an interest and European champions Real Madrid also courting the attacker, yet the Reds have a player Bayern want, which means they may lead this race were they to pursue the Germany international. 

 

He'd be a decent fit for Liverpool's attack were they to firm up their rumoured interest in the player and while not a direct like-for-like replacement for Mane, per se, Gnabry's versatility on the frontline means the Reds would benefit from a forward of his calibre.

Why Liverpool should look to include Gnabry in any deal for Mane