Sadio Mane has admitted as soon as he has heard about interest from Bayern Munich, his heart was set on the move.
The Liverpool forward is now understood to have completed a medical and to all intents and purposes is now a Bayern player. His move brings to an end a glittering six-year stint at Anfield which has seen him lift almost every honour available to him.
But with just 12 months remaining on his current contract, the 30-year-old made it clear to Kop bosses that he was seeking a move, with Bayern always expected to be the frontrunners. And after seeing their two opening bids roundly rejected, the German champions finally reached an agreement on a deal which will see them initially outlay £27.1million for the Senegalese talisman.
That could rise to £35.1m if add-ons are met and although neither club have officially announced the transaction, he has been spotted in Bayern gear and completed his first interview with reporters in the country he will now ply his trade in.
And Mane has revealed that Bayern’s approach was too difficult to reject and the idea of playing for another European heavyweight was the kind of project he jumped at the chance of being involved in.
"When my agent first told me about Bayern's interest, I was immediately excited,” Mane told BILD. “I saw myself there right away. “It's one of the biggest clubs in the world and the team is always fighting for every title. So for me it was a very good idea and the right decision to come here.
"My agent told me that there were enquiries from other clubs. That's part of the business. But I got the feeling right away when Bayern presented their plan to me. I found myself in Bayern's plan more than anyone else."
Mane’s final game in a Liverpool shirt was last month’s Champions League final defeat at the hands of Real Madrid. And having lifted the trophy once with the Reds he now has desires of doing the same with the 2020 winners.
Asked about winning Europe’s biggest prize again, he added: "I don't want to say no. Every kid wants to win the Champions League, every football player in the world. I'm with a very, very competitive team now.
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"But it's still a bit early to talk about the Champions League final, we haven't even played a game together yet. Nevertheless we will give everything to get into the final."
His arrival at the Allianz comes amidst a backdrop of uncertainty over the club’s most important player, Robert Lewandowski. Like Mane on Merseyside, the Poland international has intimated he won’t extend his contract and would like to depart - with Barcelona desperate to land the forward.
But Mane suggested Lewnadowski’s saga hasn’t played on his mind too much, with his full attention on winning titles with the players who will stick around. "I'm not a player who focuses on things like that. I'm here for FC Bayern. And I will do everything to win titles with my teammates!"
