‘From day one’: Merson says one Liverpool deal this summer was the ‘worst business ever’

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Paul Merson believes Liverpool made the ‘worst business ever’ by selling Sadio Mané this summer. The player moved to Bayern Munich.

Paul Merson is the latest pundit to dissect Liverpool and explain their poor start to the season. He believes one factor outweighs them all – selling Sadio Mané.

“I’ve said it from day one, in my opinion, selling Sadio Mané was the worst business ever,” he tells Sky Sports. “The bloke scores big, big goals. Go through them, first goals, equalisers, winning goals in last minutes, big goals.

“He led from the front with his closing down, and for me, what they sold him for, I just didn’t get it. Darwin Nunez isn’t in the same league at the moment. Not in the same league at all.”

Liverpool selling Sadio Mané

Merson goes on to explain that without Mané there, Liverpool also don’t press as well – and that’s hurting them. Essentially, he feels the impact is felt both offensively and defensively, making the money they got for him worthless.

We think that’s largely nonsense. Mané pressing excellently from the left-wing isn’t the reason teams are counter-attacking Liverpool so easily. He’s not the reason they keep conceding first in games, either, given that problem existed before he left.

On top of that, Luis Diaz is a fantastic pressing player and has adequately replaced Mané in that regard. Liverpool have felt Mané’s exit, certainly, but it doesn’t explain half of the problems we’re seeing.

Instead, Liverpool seem to lack cohesion in the middle of the pitch. Teams counter through them at a rapid pace, with too many gaps and too many players out of form.

As for Nunez – of course he’s not at Mané’s level yet. That would have been largely impossible, given the Uruguayan has been at Liverpool for a few games. We still think he’ll come good, if the Reds afford him all the time he needs.