Of all the smiling faces atop Liverpool's open bus as it slowly made its way across the city on Sunday afternoon, there was one notable exception.
It's hard to think of Sadio Mane without instantly conjuring images of him beaming in delight when wearing a Liverpool shirt. It's been something of a trademark during his six years at Anfield, but as the Reds squad soothed their Champions League final heartache by diving head first into the two-trophy parade less than 24 hours after defeat in Paris, Mane's demeanour spoke volumes.
Sitting on top of the bus alongside his team-mates, the forward was visibly subdued, going through the motions as speculation over his next move raged. If this was his final goodbye to Liverpool fans, it was not a happy one, even if his colleagues themselves were able to lift their own mood considerably from the previous night.
Earlier in the day it had been reported by the ECHO that Liverpool were braced for contact from Bayern Munich over their Senegal superstar. As of Sunday afternoon, Mane had not told of his desire to seek pastures new, but with speculation intensifying in Germany, he now seems likely to communicate his desire for a move at some stage.
When that time comes, however, is a guessing game at this stage. With a little over 12 months on his contract left, Liverpool will have two choices and neither will be viewed as ideal.
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A fee around £25m has been spoken about in Germany with regards to what any incoming offer from Bayern will be, although Liverpool have made it clear that they will demand considerably more than that for a player who has scored 120 goals in his six years on Merseyside.
It's also understood that a key factor in Liverpool's willingness to come to the negotiating table will centre around their ability to source a replacement they feel is of comparable quality to a player whose name has circled around the Ballon d'Or conversations of late.
The Reds' failure to win the Champions League in Paris on Saturday night probably means those hopes are dashed, but it speaks volumes of Mane's 2022 that such talk has been prevalent prior to the European Cup defeat to Real Madrid.
Fourteen of his 23 goals have come in a calendar year where he has also helped Senegal win Africa Cup Nations and seal a place at the World Cup.
As well as giving Liverpool fans a further hammer blow on Sunday as thousands made their way back from Paris for the parade, the Mane news also presents incoming sporting director Julian Ward with the first significant challenge of his tenure as he gears up to succeed Michael Edwards.
Liverpool had previously been keen to speak to Mane's agent, Bjorn Bezemer, this summer over a possible contract extension but those hopes appear to be dead in the water, even if their No.10 has yet to reveal his plans.
“Honestly I think the answer I can give you now is I feel very good, and I am fully focused on the Saturday game," Mane said last week ahead of the Paris final. "That is the answer I must give before the final. But come back to me on Saturday and I will give you the best answer you want to hear, for sure. It’s special. I will give you all you want to hear then."
It was a cryptic response that set tongues wagging, before Klopp hinted at a summer exit in his Friday press conference from the Stade de France.
He said: "On the Bayern Munich rumours, I couldn't care less at the moment. Sadio is focused. We have no concerns, it is completely normal. He knows how important this game is. It is not the first time before a big game that Bayern Munich rumours have come up. This is the wrong moment to speak about that. Wherever Sadio will play next year, he will be a big player."
Anfield officials will look to demand over £40m for Mane, feeling that his versatility, quality and availability marks him out as one of the finest frontmen in world football. With modern football seeing many of its top stars stretch their careers further than ever, the age of 30 is not viewed as a good enough reason to let Mane leave on the cheap.
So a sale this summer for the highest price they can negotiate is option one for Liverpool, but a lot of that rests on the club's ability to secure a player capable of a similar impact within the squad.
Luis Diaz was brought to Merseyside six months earlier than had been initially anticipated after Tottenham made their overtures known at the end of January. The Colombian winger, though, is not seen inside the camp as Mane's replacement. He was brought in to supplement what was already there.
There is perhaps an appetite inside the club to allow Mane to depart on good terms given the sterling service he has provided after becoming the first real big signing of the Klopp era at Anfield. If his heart is set then the Reds will not stand in his way if they receive the kind of fee they want.
But the alternative for Liverpool is to keep Mane another year before seeing him depart on a free transfer in 12 months. That will mean forgoing a transfer fee, but the question is whether the 30-year-old is more useful to them for a further season of chasing on all fronts rather than the cut-price sum they would fetch now?
Crucially, it also affords Liverpool the year to make sure any Mane replacement in the transfer market is the right player for Klopp. Given the former Southampton man has thrived in all three front positions at Anfield, it requires a special talent to adequately fill the void he will leave.
With Divock Origi leaving and interest developing in Takumi Minamino, who was a target for Leeds and Monaco in January, Liverpool may just feel like holding on to Mane is their best course of action right now.
That, though, runs the risk of alienating the player, even if he hardly has a reputation as someone who could rock the boat if he doesn't not get his wish. It's a delicate balancing act for Klopp and Ward this summer.
