Goalgetter Sadio Mane’s move to Bayern Munich has been a done deal since Wednesday. After tough negotiations, the German record champions agreed with Liverpool on a transfer of the 30-year-old Senegalese. The ex-Salzburger has received a three-year contract with Bayern until June 30, 2025. The completion report could now also bring movement to Robert Lewandowski’s personnel.
According to reports, Bayern will transfer 32 million euros to Liverpool as a transfer fee. The amount could increase to 41 million with certain additional services. “We are convinced that Sadio Mane will bring a lot of joy to our fans in the years to come with his spectacular way of playing. He’s ambitious and keen to win more titles. This package is very, very strong. With players like him, all big goals are possible at FC Bayern,” said CEO Oliver Kahn.
Sport director Hasan Salihamidzic is happy about a new “international top star” at FC Bayern. “Sadio Mane fits in perfectly with the football that FC Bayern plays under Julian Nagelsmann,” he said. Mane’s transfer had top priority for Munich and especially for chief squad planner Salihamidzic. The sports director negotiated for weeks with coach Jürgen Klopp’s top club. “It’s great that our board of directors, Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic, were able to sign a player like Sadio Mane for FC Bayern,” said President Herbert Hainer.
With the transfer of Mane, the question arose as to what would happen next with the Polish goal-getter Lewandowski. The world footballer wants to leave FC Bayern one year before the contract expires. The goal of the Polish goalscorer is FC Barcelona. So far, there is still a statement from the Bayern management about CEO Oliver Kahn that the 33-year-old will not be allowed to go this summer.
“Right time for this challenge”
Mane’s previous contract at Liverpool expired on June 30, 2023. The Champions League finalist initially aimed for a transfer fee of £42.5 million, the equivalent of almost 50 million euros. Bayern had agreed on a commitment with the attacker and his management early on. Liverpool paid the equivalent of almost 40 million euros to Southampton FC in 2016. “Therefore, there was no doubt for me right from the start: This is the right time for this challenge. I want to achieve a lot with this club, also internationally,” said Mane.
Mane, who in 2014 after two years at Red Bull Salzburg provoked his move from the “Bulls” to Southampton with some background noise, is his country’s record goalscorer. He won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019. In 2020 he became English champion with the team. The club had already signed a replacement for Mane with the million-dollar transfer of striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica Lisbon.
