Sadio Mane Wouldn't Sign A New Liverpool Deal Unless Given A Massive Salary Increase
Sadio Mane wanted a bumper pay rise to stay at Liverpool - but the club rejected his demands.
The Senegal international looks destined to leave Anfield and it's believed he'll join Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Mane refused to comment on his future ahead of Saturday's defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final and looked glum in Sunday's trophy parade.
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Teammate Mohamed Salah's contract is up in 2023 and is demanding a new £400,000-per-week contract. German publication BILD claim Mane wanted a figure just shy of that.
The 30-year-old is currently on £100,000-per-week and his suggested terms would've made him one of the top earners on Merseyside.
Liverpool's hierarchy didn't want to sanction Mane's salary being quadrupled and they're now ready to let him go.
Bayern remain frontrunners for his signature, but Paris Saint-Germain are said to have registered their interest.
A move to Germany could see Mane replaced Robert Lewandowski as Julian Nagelsmann's main man up front.
Lewandowski has said his time at Bayern is 'over' and he's desperate to seal a switch to Barcelona.
Mane joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016 and has gone on to become one of their best players.
He's won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup during that time and scored 120 goals in 269 appearances.
The Reds signed Diogo Jota in 2020 and Luis Diaz in January to slowly replenish their frontline, which for years was Mane and Salah either side of Roberto Firmino.
Salah's contract situation has been known for some time, but Mane's decision to leave will present a challenge to manager Jurgen Klopp.
Manchester City pipped Liverpool to the title by one point this season and have already added Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez to their squad.
Klopp was asked about Mane's departure prior to their clash with Real and he told reporters: "This is the wrong time to talk about that. Wherever Sadio will play next season he will be a big player, definitely.
"Sadio is in the shape of his life, for sure. (He is in) Brilliant shape, it is a joy to watch him.
"We ask of him a lot this season, football asks of him a lot — lot of finals. I couldn't care less in the moment. We're all fully focused on the game, Sadio is fully focused on the game.
"No concerns, it's completely normal. It's not the first time in my career that before a game rumours about Bayern Munich come up, but no problem at all."
Topics: Liverpool, Sadio Mane, Bayern Munich
Daniel Marland