Bursting onto the scene at Marseille under Jorge Sampaoli, Bamba Dieng not only earned himself the interest from a few Premier League clubs, but he also ended up going to the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
The 21-year-old, by doing so, has had the chance to meet and play alongside Sadio Mané, one of the many stars at Liverpool these days.
The 29-year-old has been a revelation at Anfield ever since he signed from Southampton in 2016, scoring 111 goals and assisting another 45 in 252 games for the club, but with his contract up in 2023, there are questions emerging about his future.
If he doesn’t renew with Liverpool, then a transfer elsewhere will be needed, and while he is a fan of Marseille in Ligue 1, that seems highly improbable as his next step.
He said: “He’s an exceptional player. Sadio is someone who works hard in training and you can see it in his games. He’s also someone who gives us a lot of tips. In training, on penalties, he calls me, gives me ideas. He wants us to go forward, to progress.
“He also loves OM a lot. He told me he watches all the OM games. As soon as we arrive in the national team, he’s happy, he speaks about Marseille. I’d like for him to join us and play here one day.”
That ‘one day’ might be key, as Mané, entering his prime years, will likely go somewhere a bit more prestigious before heading to the south of France if that is indeed something he has planned for his post-Liverpool career.
