German football expert claims Sadio Mane has become the butt of cruel joke at Bayern after Liverpool exit

Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has become the butt of jokes at Bayern Munich since moving to the Bundesliga club, a German football expert has claimed.

Mane, 31, left Liverpool after six hugely successful years to join Bayern Munich in a £35m move last summer.

The Senegal international has struggled to produce his best form in Germany in a season interrupted by injury.

And his campaign hit a new low last week when he was involved in an ugly altercation with teammate Leroy Sane following Bayern's humbling 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

German outlet BILD claimed Mane punched Sane in the face in the away dressing room at the Etihad following the match, leaving the Germany international with a bloodied lip.

Mane later apologised to Sane in front of his teammates in training and was subsequently suspended for one match by Bayern.

According to Sky Sports Germany, the Senegal international was also fined 'well over 300,000 euros' - a record for the German club.

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel has publicly given his "full support" to Mane and suggests the forward still has a future at the Allianz Arena.

"I am his first lawyer and his first defender," Tuchel said. "I've known him for so long and I know his entourage.

"He has my full support. He had that before and he still has it after this mistake that he has made. Everyone has the right to make a mistake."

Mane the butt of jokes at Bayern

While Tuchel has given his support to Mane, Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg claims Bayern are planning to sell the former Liverpool forward this summer.

Speaking during the Sky90 show, Plettenberg said: "From what I'm hearing, Bayern will try everything to offload Sadio Mane in the summer. From a sporting point of view, Thomas Tuchel has no plans with Mane as he doesn't fit his system. This is my information. The player is seen very critically internally."

Plettenberg also claimed that Mane had become the butt of jokes at Bayern as a result of underwhelming form, with the Senegal international only managing six Bundesliga goals this season.

"Signing Mane is considered a mistake, especially with his salary of more than €20m/year," added Plettenberg, as reported by Get German Football News.

"Following his disappointing performances, there's a joke doing the rounds at Sabener Strasse that Bayern signed Mane's twin brother, not the one from Liverpool."