Sadio Mane has become quite the fan favourite at Liverpool.

While Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino gobbled up all the plaudits last season, the Senegalese winger quietly went about his business, scoring 20 goals in all competitions.

Ten of those came in Liverpool's Champions League run, with Mane scoring a crucial away goal at Roma and equalising in the final against Real Madrid.

Los Blancos went on to win 3-1 in Kiev, but Mane left the field with his head held high.

After Salah was taken off with a shoulder injury, the former Southampton man took on the role as the Reds' main man and he did it brilliantly.

It's clear that he is a player firmly in Jurgen Klopp's long-term plans, a key cog in his exciting attack-minded team.

However, given his improvement during the two years he's been on Merseyside, Liverpool will no doubt be expecting interest in one of their main men.

And on Monday afternoon, a truly unexpected report surfaced from France Football suggesting that Real Madrid wanted to sign Mane to kickstart a 'revolution' at the club.

The article says there was an 'agreement in principle' with Mane, but that no agreement was made with Liverpool - big piece of the puzzle missing.

Zinedine Zidane's departure has also complicated the deal, but Mane is said to still be keen on the move.

It seems their interest is real, with Los Blancos viewing the Senegalese forward as the type of player they need to reassert themselves in La Liga.

Amazingly, the Spanish giants reportedly placed Mane higher on their priority list than Harry Kane, Eden Hazard and David De Gea, with his performance in Kiev certainly helping.

While it seems hugely unlikely that Liverpool would cave in once again and offload one of their finest, you only have to look at Philippe Coutinho and realise it could be a possibility.

Mane is tied down by contract at the club, but if he - like Coutinho - expresses a strong desire to leave, Klopp may be powerless.