“Will be a fantastic player”
“Wherever he will play next year, he will be a fantastic player,” Jürgen Klopp said when asked about a potential departure of his star forward Sadio Mané to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. The Liverpool manager also reiterated his frustration that a potential transfer to the Rekordmeister has become the main subject just before the Reds face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday. “It is not the first time in my career that Bayern Munich rumors are coming up, no idea what I did for this to keep happening.” In 2013, Mario Götze’s transfer from Dortmund to Bayern was leaked just before the Black and Yellow’s semifinal against Real Madrid.
Reading between the lines, Klopp seemed very much resigned to the fact that his star forward could be off this summer. Bild reported on Friday that Mané is very much open to a move to the Rekordmeister. The 30-year-old forward is very much affordable for the Rekordmeister. Sané earns in the region of €12-14 million before taxes at Liverpool—in comparison, Kingsley Coman just signed a contract that will earn him €17 million a season at Bayern.
One obstacle, of course, remains Liverpool. Bayern’s first offer is understood to be in the region of €30 million, which is far below Liverpool’s expectations. The Premier League runner-ups are understood to want at least €50 million for the 30-year-old. But here too the decision-makers in Munich are optimistic as they believe that Liverpool’s deal for Thiago set the benchmark for key players in their late 20s or early 30s—Thiago joined the Reds for just €22 million. Furthermore, Mané’s contract will expire next summer—with a market value of €80 million, the forward is the third most valuable player with an expiring contract in 2023.
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Mané to Bayern Munich – How will the winger fit in?
Signing Mané now appears to be a priority for Bayern. Although there is still some optimism that the Rekordmeister could keep star forward Robert Lewandowski, off the field Mané would be an adequate star name replacement should the Polish forward join Barcelona. On the field, Mané could be an ideal replacement for Serge Gnabry. The two are, however, represented by the same agency (ROOF), and signing Mané could bring a new dynamic to Gnabry’s contract discussions.
Player Comparison
Liverpool FC
Bayern Munich
£72.00m
Market Value
£63.00m
Left Winger
Position
Right Winger
Jun 30, 2023
Contract until
Jun 30, 2023
Full Player Comparison
Instead, expect the Mané signing to become a part of a new attacking dynamic in Munich. Head coach Julian Nagelsmann wants to place a greater emphasis on Bayern’s wing play, with a towering forward in the center of the box playing target man—possibly Saša Kalajdzić (Stuttgart). It is for that reason Bayern have already signed Noussair Mazraoui—the Moroccan is supposed to mirror left-back Alphonso Davies on the right. Mané is supposed to join a dynamic group of wingers that will also include Coman, Leroy Sané and maybe even Gnabry.
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