Sadio Mane has become increasingly important to any success Liverpool hope to have in the near future, having blossomed under Jurgen Klopp's guidance.
And while the speedy winger is in line to follow in the footsteps of his attacking counterparts in extending his stay at the club, it has not stopped a collection of the Anfield faithful to express their concerns over the process which appears to have dragged on for too long.
Mane, 26, had been widely reported to be on the cusp on penning a new five-year deal with Liverpool early in the summer, but the Evening Standard maintains that discussions with the Senegal international's representatives are still ongoing.
The dialogue between all parties is said to be positive, as while progress has been slow the club remain optimistic in securing the long term future of the man many consider to be the most important player in Liverpool's set up.
The speedster has been on an upward trajectory since joining the Merseyside outfit having proven to be a thorn in sides across both the country and Europe, leading to a blistering run of form which has returned 14 goals in his last 18 games.
After witnessing Mane forge a devastating combination with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino the fear of him feeling any desire to prolong talks would lead to worry amongst fans, but with Liverpool on the up and positive talks still underway there is little reason to be concerned.
However, that did not stop a collection of Liverpool fans from worrying that the hold up was due to the desire for trophies or because of reported interest from the likes of Real Madrid throughout the summer...
Bit worried about this contract. Been negotiating since June from what I saw and his links with Madrid in the summer only make me think he’s looking abroad
— Fents (@liverpool021) August 22, 2018
He needs trophies. As do they all. Only he can achieve that though. Easy fix to move to a 2 team league. We have got to win trophies this year if we are going to keep these guys.
— David Goulbourn (@DavidGoulbourn1) August 22, 2018
While for others it feels like they have experienced this before:
This is getting me concerned now, don’t want another Can type situation
— Ragh (@karat_sriragh) August 22, 2018
Lack of Mané contract is giving me mass anxiety, Emre Can style
— SMO (@FirmiSmo) August 18, 2018
Emre can situation all over again
— Adam Fisher (@adfisha23) August 22, 2018
Better not turn into a Can sitution
— ♂️ (@SalahSensation) August 22, 2018
And others simply heaped praise on how key he has become for the Reds:
He & Naby have same agent plus are close off the pitch. Hope by the int’l break it’ll be sorted. The traits of his teammates allow Sadio the freedom & confidence where his play is simply on another level. Can’t see the new #10 leave & risk having to start all over. We good! #LFC
— Kellan (@thatKellKell) August 22, 2018
As of now, Mane has been better than Salah this season. Not just because he has scored more but because he has been more influential. I hope he signs an extension soon. Huge player for LFC. #LFC
— Abhishek Krishnan (@Abhi9715) August 22, 2018
Liverpool fans, however, do not need to stress too much as Mane still holds a contract at Anfield until 2021.