Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic is reportedly set to fly to England in an effort to seal a transfer for Liverpool wantaway Sadio Mane.
The Senegalese has already announced his intention to depart Anfield this summer, with just one year remaining on his current deal. That decision is certainly a huge blow to Liverpool with the former Southampton forward having found the net on 23 occasions in all competitions last term as the Reds lifted the Carabao and FA Cup, whilst having also been edged out in the race for the Premier League and Champions League crowns.
Bayern have emerged as the most viable candidates to secure his services this summer. The German giants are attempting to find a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is attempting to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.
So far, an agreement has not yet been reached between the two clubs, with Bayern taking exception to Liverpool’s evaluation of Mane. It has been suggested that the Bundesliga champions’ opening offer for Mane has been rejected with a follow-up bid in the region of £30m expected to be lodged soon.
However, the Reds are holding out for around £42.5m so it remains to be seen whether Bayern will reach those demands. Salihamidzic is now reportedly taking steps in an attempt to find an agreement between the two parties.
According to SportBILD, he is expected to fly over to England over the coming days to hold in-person discussions with the Reds’ new sporting director Julian Ward. Whether those efforts will bear fruit remains to be seen but whatever the result, it seems unlikely that Mane will extend his Liverpool stay beyond this summer.
Do you think Bayern Munich will manage to sign Sadio Mane? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The 30-year-old has been at Anfield since a 2016 switch from the south coast. In the time since, he has scored on 120 occasions in all competitions, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and more.
He was recently asked whether his preference would be Bayern Munich, Barcelona or Real Madrid but jokingly replied that he would sooner sign for French giants Marseille.
“You know you got me in trouble, you got me in trouble with the Liverpool supporters currently, but hey! You know I’m not a fan of these teams. My club is Marseille, I would say Marseille then,” the Senegalese forward said.
In the meantime, former Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann has claimed that Mane is eyeing a switch to the Allianz Arena sooner rather than later. As quoted by talkSPORT, he said: “Yeah, what I hear is that he wants to come to Munich.
“He’s made it pretty clear that he thinks his time in Liverpool is up and he wants to come and now it’s a matter of how much Liverpool will want for him.”
