Mane to Liverpool could be best under-the-radar Premier League signing

PASADENA, Calif. — Fans who turned out at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday hoping to see Liverpool parading its stars against Premier League rivals Chelsea in the two sides’ International Champions Cup clash may have been somewhat disappointed.

What fans got from Liverpool instead could be a glimpse of the future.

For while Chelsea manager Antonio Conte fielded something akin to a Premier League starting XI, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp opted to debut a number of his new signings.

Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Danny Ings, and James Milner all started on the bench.

Daniel Sturridge wasn’t even in the squad, with Klopp choosing to rest him ahead of Saturday’s ICC clash with AC Milan.

As the old saying goes, it’s difficult to judge a team by what it does in preseason. But if we can take anything away from what we saw against Chelsea on Wednesday, it looks like Sadio Mane might be the most promising of Liverpool’s new recruits. In fact the former Southampton man has shown flashes this preseason of someone with the potential to be one of the signings of the new Premier League season.

Deployed on the right with Roberto Firmino in the center of attack, the Senegalese winger was a constant menace throughout the first half, making penetrating runs, drawing fouls, and generally serving as a focal point for everything positive about Liverpool going forward.

His blistering pace and threatening crosses from the flank were one of the few spots of bother for an otherwise dug-in and well-marshalled Chelsea’s defense.

The 24-year-old Mane has already been a standout for Liverpool for much of this preseason. He made his debut earlier this month against Tranmere Rovers and was Liverpool’s biggest attacking threat, as he was against Huddersfield Town last week.

While he has yet to find the back of the net for Liverpool, fans will be particularly encouraged by his budding partnership with Firmino. The two’s understanding of one another was very much in evidence at the Rose Bowl and bodes well for a Liverpool attack that often struggles in the face of the constant injuries Sturridge seems prone to.

While Mane, who scored 15 goals in all competitions for Saints last season, was the standout attacker amongst Liverpool’s new additions, he wasn’t the only one of the new signings to impress at the Rose Bowl.

Ragnar Klavan also put in a solid shift at defense. At 30, the Estonian, who has previously plied his trade for the likes of Augsburg and AZ Alkmaar, is more experienced than most of Liverpool’s other debutantes and could grow into an able successor to Kolo Toure.

Meanwhile, Ovie Ejaria, an 18-year-old Arsenal academy product, was commanding in midfield and nearly drew Liverpool level when he played Firmino through on goal in the first half. The Brazilian’s shot wound up in the back of Asmir Begovic’s net but was disallowed as offside.

Marko Grujic, the 20-year-old Serbian midfielder who’d stolen the show against Fleetwood Town earlier this month, had a more subdued performance, highlighted by getting brained in a head-to-head challenge with Bertrand Traore that resulted in him being taken to the hospital.

“He can’t remember anything, that’s not too cool so hopefully nothing too serious,” Klopp told Yahoo Sports.

But while many of Liverpool’s new additions look promising, it’s Mane who is most likely to get the pulses of Reds fans racing. His initial fee of around $42M makes him Liverpool’s third most expensive acquisition, and with bonuses he could become the Merseyside club’s record signing.

But at the age of just 24 with his best years presumably ahead of him, that could yet prove a bargain.

Mane admittedly faded somewhat in the second half and was eventually subbed off just past the hour mark. But he had left his impression.

Although his manager thinks he can leave an even bigger one.

“He’s a wonderful player,” Klopp said. “But it’s clear he can play much better.”