Darren Bent has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min would now get in Liverpool’s team ahead of Sadio Mane.
Bent was appearing on TalkSPORT when he was asked if Son would command a starting berth for every Premier League team, including Liverpool.
“I think he does now,” said Bent. “The one that was an exception, I always used to think would he get in ahead of Mane.
“But Heung Min Son steps up all the time, scores goals, creates goals, can finish with either foot. On that left-hand side I think he would get into any Premier League team, City as well.”
Son is in a rich vein of form having scored six goals in his last three games. That has put him just three behind Mohamed Salah in the race for the Golden Boot.
Mane’s goal against Manchester City on Sunday was his 13th of the Premier League season.
Comparing the two wingers
It’s a worthy comparison to pit Liverpool’s number 10 against the Spurs number 7.
As Bent points out, both players play largely from the left-hand side. Whereas Mane likes to cut inside onto his favoured right-foot, Son is relatively comfortable on either right or left.
The two arrived in England at the same time. Son to Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen for £22m, Mane from Red Bull Salzburg to Southampton for £10m.
Since their respective Premier League debuts, they have scored a combined 195 goals. Mane leads the way comfortably in this respect. The Senegalese has 108 goals for Liverpool and Southampton, Son has 87 for Spurs.
The tables are turned in terms of assists. Son beats Mane 45 to 37 in goal creation.
Over that period both players have challenged for major trophies. For all his brilliance, Son has just Champions League and Carabao Cup runners-up medals to show for it.
Mane meanwhile has helped his team to a Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, Super Cup and a Carabao Cup. With Liverpool pushing for more trophies this season, that list may well be added to.
Son is a supreme player who wouldn’t look out of place in Liverpool’s attacking trio. He has an incredible link up with Harry Kane and it’d be interesting to see the on-pitch relationships he would create at Liverpool.
But Mane has his own telepathic partnership with Mohamed Salah for us to enjoy. The two are both wonderful players, but we know who we’d rather have – long live king Sadio.
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