Ronald Koeman admits Sadio Mane could be hard to keep

Ronald Koeman has admitted that keeping hold of Sadio Mane could prove to be a struggle for his Southampton side.

After an exceptional first season in the Premier League last campaign, and a bright start to the season for the Saints, the Senegalese forward is inevitably attracting interest from clubs at the highest echelons of world football.

Last summer, Manchester United were reportedly interested in Mane, as they prepared a £25 million bid for the Southampton man, but were met by a strong stance from Southampton as they crucially kept hold of their star player.

When speaking to the Daily Echo, Koeman said: “OK, maybe one day we will lose Mane but then we have to be prepared.

“You know in our situation that kind of players, if they play like today, there will come a lot of interest in the end of the season. But now we enjoy watching Mane in our team.

“He is very fast and he is showing also now to be very clever out of his positions. I think he changed well the position in front and it was difficult for Chelsea to defend well.

“Of course, then if you play good football, you need that kind of player on the top level they can bring. He was fantastic.”

Mane has previously stated his happiness at Southampton, but has never ruled out a move to Manchester United, or any other big club looking to secure his services.