Liverpool will stand firm on Sadio 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 £25million 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.”
This means Liverpool have a precedent that can be used to their advantage when discussing valuations for Mane as they look to hold out for a higher transfer fee.
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."
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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.
Salah said in a press conference: "In my mind, I don't focus on the contract. I don't want to be selfish at all. I said two months ago it's about the team. It's an important week for us.
"I'm just focused on the team and winning the Champions League again. I want to see Hendo [Jordan Henderson] with the trophy in the hands and hopefully he gives it to me. I don't want to talk about the contract now, I'm staying next season for sure, that's clear."
Roberto Firmino is also out of contract in the summer of 2023 which means it's not only a possibility that Liverpool's deadly front trio will be split up, but all three could feasibly leave the club in the next 12 months.
