ALAN PARDEW believes Sadio Mane will stay at Southampton if his heart is still with the club irrespective of the money offered.
Pardew spent just over a year as Saints boss, winning the Football League Trophy in 2010 before leaving under allegations of a spat with chairman Nicola Cortese.
The 54-year-old will return to St Mary's on Saturday in the FA Cup with his high-flying Crystal Palace team, and laughed off the idea of Manchester United target Mane once again being benched for the game.
"Sadio is a good player," Pardew said.
"I think he’s been impressive and I think the link between the two clubs has been strong.
"There have been a lot of rumours so maybe there is a connection there."
The deal is believed to be valued at £60million, with roughly half of that going on the striker's wage demands which would reach £120,000 per week should he make the move to Old Trafford.
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| Sadio Mane is rumoured to be a target for both Chelsea and Manchester United |
But Louis van Gaal will not be alone in his pursuit of the Senegalese striker, as Chelsea are also said to be interested in the forward should he become available.
And while Pardew is confident in Southampton's ability to deal with the financial pressure of any bid, only the player himself will be able to decide whether he will stay on the south coast.
"I’m sure Southampton are in a strong financial position to resist any bid so it’s whether the player really has his heart at Southampton," Pardew added.
"I know from experience at Newcastle that if the heart and mind is not there finance becomes irrelevant."
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