Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has explained why former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane left the club this summer after six years at Anfield.
The Senegalese international integrated himself into Liverpool folklore by winning six trophies under Jurgen Klopp, and was often credited as the first catalyst which turned the Reds from mediocre to ‘mentality monsters’.
He arrived in 2016 from Southampton for a £34m fee, and went on to score 120 goals in 269 games for the Reds, including 23 in his final season, where he shifted into a more central role.
Mane wanted a new challenge and he was sold to the German champions in the summer, ending his fruitful spell at Anfield - but there was no distaste between the parties, as Mane left with the best wishes of Klopp and his staff.
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Salihamidzic, who was crucial in securing Mane’s signature, told the Times about why Bavaria was the ideal destination for a player in the situation that Mane was in.
“Somebody like Sadio looks at clubs and thinks, ‘I’ve had six amazing years at Liverpool, what’s next?’
“He will choose his next move carefully. I know why he chose us, he said so: because he feels that there’s so much quality and mentality, with him being a leader in that respect who fits right in.
“It was obvious that Lewy [Robert Lewandowski] was thinking about a move, but without having top replacements available, we wouldn’t have agreed [to let him go].
”But we had many options, we tried to make one happen, and that allowed us to let him go. The fact that it was Sadio, it couldn’t have worked out any better for us.”
He hasn’t started badly, either, topping Bayern’s scoring charts with five goals so far this season. They have drawn their last three Bundesliga games, though, and will look to Mane to rectify their usual norm.
The forward might not replicate the numbers of Lewandowski, but he will likely become a hit at the Allianz Arena.
Topics: Sadio Mane, Bayern Munich, Liverpool
Chris Stonadge