News about Sadio Mane

JAMES COHEN IN RIYADH: Francis Ngannou produced a stunning knockout victory upon his return to MMA as he took on Renan Ferreira in PFL's Battle of the Giants main event.  After months of build-up and anticipation for Ngannou's MMA return, the two heavyweights finally met inside the SmartCage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. And it didn't take long for Ngannou to remind combat fans of his impressive abilities inside the cage as he dispatched of his Brazilian counterpart inside the first round.

Cristiano Ronaldo reached yet another personal milestone as Al-Nassr won 2-1 against Al-Rayyan in the AFC Champions League Elite. Sadio Mane had put Al-Nassr in front just before half time, with Ronaldo making it 2-0 in the 76th minute with a clever finish. Although Al-Rayyan got a goal back through Roger Guedes late on, Al-Nassr still managed to prevail.

Joe Cole was full of praise for Chelsea's attacking performance in their 3-0 victory against West Ham. Cole claimed that the Blues' display reminded him of Liverpool's famous previous attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. Nicolas Jackson scored twice against West Ham, with his first goal coming after just four minutes, while Cole Palmer also managed to get on the scoresheet. 

Liverpool used Southampton as a feeder club between 2014 and 2019. The Reds paid the Saints close to £200million in transfer fees during that period and received Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Danny Ings in return. Some of those players flopped, while others shone at Anfield.

Romero reposted a tweet from an Argentine journalist that claimed Tottenham 'gave an advantage' to Arsenal they 'were the only Premier League club' that did not lay on travel arrangements for their stars to get back from the international break. He hastily deleted the repost but by then the damage was done. Screenshots had already been captured. And perhaps he had a point. Some clubs do provide private travel to get their players back faster. Arsenal's Brazilians were back in training by Thursday. Spurs, meanwhile, were happy for Romero to travel back on the flights arranged by Argentina, ready for training on Friday. A day of preparation missed? Does he have precedent to be vexed?

The 36-year-old, who also spent time in the Premier League with Watford , enjoyed a successful three-year spell in LaLiga with Villarreal. He played a total of 148 games for the Yellow Submarine, including 40 in all competitions last term but his contract with the club was not renewed and he has been a free agent since the summer. But instead of finding another club in one of Europe's top leagues or even further afield, the France international has reportedly joined a Spanish fourth-division basketball side.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is reportedly 'desperate' to sign a new contract to extend his stay at Anfield past the end of this season. The Egyptian has become one of Liverpool's greatest ever players during his seven-year stay at the club.  However, his contract expires this summer, and he acknowledged after their 3-0 victory over bitter rivals Manchester United that this could be his final year at the club. 

KIERAN GILL: Chelsea 's fire sale is continuing despite the transfer window closing in England, with the Premier League club offloading yet another player. The Blues are making £19.1million on the Brazilian winger, who is joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr where he will link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane. Chelsea will retain a sell-on clause from any future transfer involving the player.

Manchester City are exploring the possibility of a blockbuster reunion with Barcelona's Ilkay Gundogan. Gundogan left the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer last year but after just 12 months, is open to leaving the Nou Camp. City have maintained all summer that they are happy with the current squad and any transfer business is likely to come from an unexpected developing situation later in the window. The potential of Gundogan departing Catalonia only arose over the weekend, with the 33-year-old already having interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia - including Al Nassr, home of Cristiano Ronaldo, Aymeric Laporte and Sadio Mane. Pep Guardiola intimated last week that he was hoping for a reinforcement following Julian Alvarez's move to Atletico Madrid, while the Premier League champions have struggled to find a suitable back-up for Rodri in defensive midfield.

Sadio Mane was seen celebrating as the Al-Nassr and Senegal star's teenage wife Aisha Tamba graduated from school. Mane and Aisha tied the knot in January in an Islamic ceremony on January 7 in Keur Massar, a suburb in the capital city of Dakar, just six days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations. The marriage took place in Aisha's home and was attended by family and close friends.

A former Liverpool star who won seven trophies at the club has made a radical career change by becoming an evangelical pastor. The player, who scored 82 clubs for the Reds, was consecrated as a pastor at a church he founded in his hometown of Maceio last Sunday, June 30. In a post on Instagram with his wife, Larissa, the 32-year-old forward said it had been a 'memorable and unforgettable' ceremony.

SIMON JONES: Villa beat the Riyadh-based club to Diaby's signature a year ago when they bought him from Bayer Leverkusen for a club record £51.9million. But Al Nassr are considering a return as they look to tweak their squad after finishing runners up last season. They have Cristiano Ronaldo in their squad but are listening to offers for Sadio Mane this summer. Diaby made 54 appearances for Villa and scored 10 goals to help them into the Champions League in his first season but the 24-year old was still left out of Didier Deschamps' France squad for the European Championships.

The time is nearly upon us. Jurgen Klopp's last dance as Liverpool manager takes place this Sunday, May 19, as the Reds face Wolves at Anfield in their last match of the season. In January, the German shocked the footballing world when he announced that this current season would be his last at the helm on Merseyside, and now - following Liverpool's dramatic 3-3 draw away at Aston Villa on Monday - the day Reds have been dreading for so long arrives this weekend. Come 6pm on Sunday, the tears will be flowing everywhere you look at Anfield when the whistle is blown on Klopp's nine-year tenure as Liverpool boss, bringing an end to an incredible journey winning nearly every trophy there is to win.

Cristiano Ronaldo showed he's not quite as self-centered as some may believe as he allowed Sadio Mane to take a penalty during Al-Nassr's clash with Al-Khaleej on Wednesday night. Ronaldo had already netted one earlier in the match and decided Mane should have the chance to when his side won another later in the first half. More to follow... 

Sadio Mane missed a penalty in Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League victory over Al Feiha on Friday. Luis Castro's side found themselves behind after just six minutes at the Al-Awwal Stadium, with former Rangers striker Fashion Sakala firing the visitors into an unlikely lead. Al-Nassr were without Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese superstar suspended after being shown a straight red card in the club's Saudi Cup semi-final exit last week.

Forget the ludicrous own goals, daft celebrations and referees losing their footing. Nothing in football brings a chuckle quite like two team-mates forgetting about the opposition and having a pop at one another instead. Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson's primary school routine is the latest in a long line of incidents that we are all quick to condemn as disgraceful, but really make us all laugh quite a lot. Chelsea's 6-0 thumping of Everton was overshadowed by the farcical scenes as Cole Palmer shoved Jackson away after he tried to grab the ball off him - despite the Blues' top scorer already netting a hat-trick at the time. 

Ronaldo and his pals were celebrating after he had seemingly put them 1-0 in front, but their goal was later called out for offside. He'll win the game 1-0 after converting a penalty, with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino reuniting afterwards. The Ah-Ahli delinquents, who pelted the opposition players with multiple objects, stifled those positive thoughts.

Despite a high stakes finish, the former Liverpool team-mates shook hands and told a joke, and looked excited to see each other. Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty to ensure Mane's Al-Nassr team maintained their vanishing title hopes alive - and Al-Ahli came in third, nine points behind them in third.

Ronaldo was trapped in the middle of a controversy involving several dozen players, employees, and officials, although he was uninvolved in any of the physical confrontations. In the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League, Al-Nassr had lost 3-1 on penalties to Al-Ain, having lost 1-0 away and then won 4-3 at home. Ronaldo's contribution to a thrilling match included an 118th-minute spot-kick to bring the game to penalties, but he was the only Al-Nassr man to recover his in a heartbreaking loss.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the new Manchester United co-owner, is expected to accept a bid for an exciting youngster this summer. United is eager to strengthen their squad as they prepare for the Premier League Championships for the first time. According to a Sunday Mirror article, United have already identified one of their key transfer targets for the summer.

Pape Sarr wants to know how the machine works, behind the bright lights and the slick movements. He likes to know what you do in the background to get the thing firing and how to fix it if they're wrong.

Exclusive BY MATT HUGHES: Manchester United have held exclusive interviews with the brains trust behind Liverpool's fruitful transfer performance under Jurgen Klopp as they continue to develop their own recruitment. United have held talks with Ludonautics, the sport consultancy and statistical analysis firm operated by Liverpool's former Director of Research Dr Ian Graham, but not for the club, according to Mail Sport. Ludonautics was launched by Graham last year in an effort to provide the reports and analytical services he provided in 11 years at Anfield to other clubs.

After Al-Nassr actor Frank Leboeuf's statement that the Saudi Pro League is superior to Ligue 1, the Chelsea defender has told Cristiano Ronaldo to'shut up'. Following Ronaldo's release from Manchester United, he joined Al-Nassr in January 2023, and a number of celebrities joined Saudi Arabian clubs last summer, including Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema, and Neymar. In January, Ronaldo stated that only two or three teams in France are worthy of contending for the title, while the Saudi Pro League is more competitive.

The £272 million, up £25 million from off-field earnings, was Liverpool's highest income stream in 2022-23, but a year after winning the final, the television money decreased by £19 million to £242 million. Matchday's earnings dropped by £7 million due to fewer games being played during the 2013 season, the club's first campaign saw them win both domestic and tournament finals.