Santo Mane has completed a 35 35m transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich on a three-year deal. The Reds will receive € 32 million (£ 27.4 million) with an additional € 6 million based on appearances, plus € 3 million for individual and team achievements. Liverpool turned down two offers from Bayern before agreeing to pay the Senegalese striker, who had a contract until next summer. “This is the right time for this challenge,” said the 30-year-old. “I felt the great interest of this great club from the beginning, so there was no doubt in my mind.” Mane went to Liverpool for 34 34 million from Southampton in June 2016 and scored 120 goals in 269 games, finishing last season with 23 goals in all competitions. “Santo Mane is a world star who underlines Bayern’s appeal and increases the attractiveness of the entire Bundesliga,” said Bayern chairman Herbert Heiner. “It’s about such unique footballers that the fans come to the stadiums.” Mane helped Liverpool win the Champions League and Premier League and scored the winning penalty in February as Senegal won the African Cup of Nations for the first time. “With his outstanding performances and great success at the highest international level for many years, there are very few players like him in the world,” added Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn. “We are confident that Sadio Mane will excite our fans for years to come with his spectacular style of play. He is ambitious and eager to win more titles. This package is very strong. With players like him at FC Bayern, all the biggest goals it is possible “. Last week, Liverpool confirmed the acquisition of Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica for an initial amount of 64 million pounds. In a farewell interview for the Liverpool website, external link Mane said: “It’s really weird not to be a Liverpool player anymore, but I had an incredible time. I will be the number one Liverpool fan forever.”
Does Manet’s departure mark the “end of an era” at Anfield?
With Jürgen Klopp appointed Liverpool manager in October 2015, Manet was the German’s first major acquisition at Anfield next summer. Roberto Firmino was already at the club and Mohamed Salah arrived in 2017 to complete what would become one of the biggest strikers in Premier League history. In five seasons in all competitions, they scored 338 goals against each other, helping Liverpool to become European champions for the sixth time in 2019 and then to win the English championship for the first time in 30 years. With the trio approaching or approaching their 30s, Liverpool prepared for the development of their attacking ranks by signing Diogo Jota and then Luis Diaz, but Manet’s departure could be considered the end of an era at Anfield. “It’s a great moment, it makes no sense for anyone to try to pretend otherwise,” Klopp told the Liverpool website.external-link “One of the greatest Liverpool players of all time is leaving and we have to acknowledge how important that is. But we must not dwell on what we are losing now, instead of celebrating what we were privileged to have.” Will the summer transfers of Nunez and teenager Fabio Carvalho from Fulham, combined with the arrivals of Jota and Diaz, trigger a second phase of success for Klopp at Merseyside? Find all the latest football transfers on our special page.
