Sadio Mane is leaving Liverpool after the Reds agreed to sell him to Bayern Munich for £35.1million.
Liverpool accepted Bayern’s third offer of £27.5million up front plus £7.6million in add-ons during face-to-face talks between the clubs yesterday to bring to an end Mane’s successful six years at Anfield. Liverpool’s sporting director Julian Ward agreed the terms with his Bayern counterpart Hasan Salihamidzic, who flew to Merseyside yesterday to clinch the transfer.
The Reds dismissed Bayern’s opening bids of £25million and £30million, which included the fanciful add-ons of them winning three successive Champions Leagues and Mane three consecutive Ballon d’Ors.
Liverpool wanted £42.5million for the striker and the two sides have settled on a compromise figure. Mane, who is currently on holiday back home in Senegal, will now travel to Munich for his medical before officially sealing his transfer.
The Reds paid Southampton £34million for Mane in 2016 and could end up making a small profit on the African star. They will feel they have got the best deal possible after Mane told them following their Champions League Final defeat three weeks ago that he wanted to leave.
Mane only had 12 months left on his Anfield contract and verbally agreed terms on a three-year deal with Bayern worth a reported £250,000-a-week, leaving Liverpool with little bargaining power. Mane had demanded to become Liverpool’s top earner to sign a new deal to stay at Anfield and Liverpool were not prepared to smash their wage structure to keep a player who was 30 in April.
Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez from Benfica at the start of the week in a deal worth a potential club record £85million and his arrival was the green light to sell Mane. His exit means the end of Liverpool’s legendary front three of him, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino and those two could also leave next summer when their contracts expire.
Kopites are sad to see Mane leave because he played a key role in Liverpool’s success under Jurgen Klopp, scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances, to help them win the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
Mane will become Bayern Munich's third signing of the transfer window following the arrivals of Ajax pair Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazrouai, who both joined last week. As for Liverpool., their summer activity looks set to have come to an end, with Fabio Carvalho and Aberdeen youngster Calvin Ramsay joining Nunez at Anfield next season.
