LIONEL MESSI failed to persuade Sadio Mane to leave Liverpool and join him at Barcelona.
That is according to Sadio Mane's PR agent, who claims that Messi "imposed" Mane on Barca during contract talks with the Catalan club last summer.
RMC Sport report that the 37-year-old Argentine superstar, now at Paris Saint-Germain, wanted to lead the line with Mane.
Agent Bacary Cisse even stated PSG tried to pip Bayern Munich to the post in landing the 30-year-old this term.
He said: “Yes, PSG did indeed attack Sadio. Leonardo Araujo [PSG sporting director] had several contacts with the German agent.
“They saw each other, they discussed the ins and outs of a possible transfer of Sadio at PSG, but it ended there.
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"Everyone knows that Leonardo was on an ejection seat; we had to wait.
“Last year it could have also happened with FC Barcelona.
"It was Lionel Messi who imposed Sadio Mane in the deal when it was a question of him extending to Barca.
"He had given two names: Sadio Mane and an Argentinian central defender.”
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Bayern completed a £35million transfer for the Senegalese ace after he made the decision to quit the Merseyside club earlier this month.
The forward has signed a three-year contract with the German giants, who have won the top-flight title for the last TEN seasons.
Cisse also argued with TV5MONDE that Mane made the right choice to stay on at Liverpool last season, despite losing in the Champions League final and finishing second in the Premier League.
He added: "I think Sadio chose the right club at the right time.
"He won everything with Liverpool and it was time to seek a new challenge elsewhere.
"Bayern's project was very attractive."
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