Sadio Mane has sensationally suggested that he is prepared to follow the will of his home nation and quit Liverpool.
The 30-year-old is heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window, having yet to be offered a new deal at Anfield. Mane is understood to be keen on the idea of switch to the Bundesliga after agreeing a three-year contract with Bayern.
Now the forward, who is tied to the Reds until June 2023, has given his biggest indication yet of wanting to end his six-year stint on Merseyside, having been told in a news conference that "60%-70% of Senegalese people" hope to see him leave. "I'll do what they want," Mane replied, speaking ahead of Senegal 's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at home to Benin on Saturday. "We'll see soon."
The Liverpool ace was manager Jurgen Klopp 's first major signing in the summer of 2016, joining from Southampton before going on to win six trophies at Anfield including the Premier League and Champions League. Mane and co finished second-best in both competitions this season, having declared that he would announce his future plans over the coming weeks.
It seems like that time has already come, though, with Bayern poised to pounce in their bid to replace star man Robert Lewandowski, who is keen on a move to Barcelona. Sky Sport in Germany, via Sport Witness, report that boss Julian Nagelsmann is planning for Lewandowski's departure but does not view Mane as a direct replacement for the outgoing Pole, an out-and-out striker.
Naglesmann would rather deploy the ex- Red Bull Salzburg prodigy as a false-nine given the fact Bayern boast a wealth of talented wide men such as Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman. Negotiations with Mane, who has reportedly informed his Reds teammates of his desire to depart, are said to be in a 'decisive stage'.
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The question now is whether the two clubs can agree a fee, with Liverpool yet to receive official contact regarding a transfer. It is claimed that Bayern would be happy to pay as much as €30million (£25.6m) plus add-ons which could rise to €10m (£8.5m).
At least the German giants know Lewandowski's stance, as the Poland captain told reporters on Monday: "My story at Bayern is over. After everything that has happened in recent months, I cannot imagine further good cooperation. Bayern is a serious club and I hope they will not keep me just because they can," he added. "A transfer is the best solution for all parties."
