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LIVERPOOL. — Sadio Mané has resolved to leave Liverpool this summer, with German football giants Bayern Munich among the clubs hoping to sign the 30-year-old forward.
He has been at Anfield since 2016 and feels the time is right for a new experience.
Mané has one year left on his contract and whereas Mohamed Salah, who is in the same situation, has declared that he will stay, the Senegal international intends to tell Liverpool he wants a transfer.
And Liverpool will stand firm on Mane after it emerged that Bayern Munich are preparing a bid for the winger.
The forward has been heavily linked with a move to the Allianz Arena this summer as he enters the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield. It’s claimed that the Senegal international is looking for a move away from Merseyside but Liverpool insist that he has not communicated his feelings to the club.
Mane remained tight-lipped in the lead up to Saturday’s Champions League final but said he would address his future following the match as Real Madrid claimed a 1-0 win against the Reds.
Diario AS claims Mane informed his Liverpool teammates of his intention of leaving the club this summer in the Stade de France dressing room following the Champions League final loss.
Bayern are said to be lining up a £25 million bid for Mane in the upcoming window but Liverpool have made it clear the Germans will need to significantly increase their offer. The Reds still see Mane as a prized asset and would rather keep him for an extra year even if it meant he left as a free agent next summer as the figures suggested would get nowhere near the cost of his replacement.
Bayern have a similar predicament with Robert Lewandowski, who is a free agent next summer, after the striker expressed his desire to leave the Germans.
When Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was asked if he would consider selling the Poland captain for his reported asking price of £45m, he replied: “No. He has a contract until 2023. We have all the time in the world. We have the best striker in the world and we’re proud of that.”
Bayern are expected to offer Mane a contract until the summer of 2025 with an initial offer of £25m plus between £4m and £8m in bonus payments, according to Sky Germany. The report states that Salihamidzic will lead negotiations, while CEO Oliver Kahn and his predecessor Karl-Heinz Rummenigge watched Mane at Saturday night’s Champions League final. Jurgen Klopp was asked about the Bayern rumours at his pre-match press conference in Paris, saying: “Wherever Sadio will play next year, he will be a big player.” Mane is in the same boat as Mohamed Salah as both players enter the final year of their current deal. Liverpool are also struggling to get the Egyptian to sign a contract extension, although he has said he will be at Anfield next season.
Divock Origi is leaving for Milan, Roberto Firmino’s form has been waning and although Luis Díaz has been an excellent addition in attack, Klopp does not want to lose Mané this summer.
Mané had hinted in the buildup to the Champions League final that he would stay, saying at Liverpool’s media day when questioned regarding his future: “Come back to me on Saturday and I will give you the best answer you want to hear, for sure. It’s special.” Bayern are strong contenders in the race to persuade Liverpool to sell but will face competition. The German champions have insisted that Lewandowski will remain for the final year of his contract but the striker wants a move to Barcelona, who have offered a three-year deal. — The Guardian
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