Bayern Munich reportedly want Sadio Mane but president Herbert Hainer refused to be drawn on speculation regarding Liverpool’s Premier League-winning forward, speaking to TZ.
How on earth do you replace the irreplaceable?
That is the challenge facing the Bundesliga champions with Robert Lewandowski – seemingly ignoring the fact that there is still 12 months left on his contract – bidding farewell to the Bayern faithful following the final day draw with Wolfsburg last weekend.
Well, enter Sadio Mane.
According to The Times, Bayern have already made contact with the Liverpool forward – scorer of a famous lob against the Bavarians in the 2019 Champions League – after Lewandowski agreed a three-year deal with La Liga giants Barcelona.
Will Liverpool’s Sadio Mane replace Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich?
Hainer, however, was reluctant to give much away when quizzed about Mane this week.
“I can’t say anything about names,” the president says. “We’re looking all over the market, doing everything we can to put an internationally competitive team on the field.
“One thing is very clear: maximum sporting success is our goal. Of course, we want to be German champions again next year. And again the year after next. And we want to fight for victory in the Champions League again.”
Doing so, without arguably the greatest goalscorer in the world right now, is no easy task. Lewandowski has scored a staggering 344 goals in 375 games, and has broken the 40-goal barrier in every single season since 2014/15.
“We really try to be competitive internationally, although we don’t have as much money on our hands as other top international clubs,” Hainer adds.
“We have to earn every cent ourselves and I think we’ve done that very well so far. But it doesn’t get any easier. Corona hit us hard financially as a club, but the pandemic seems to have left the salary demands of the players and consultants untouched.”
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Mane, like Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino, will be a free-agent in 12 months’ time.
According to Goal, it is ‘unlikely’ that Liverpool will succeed in renewing all three players.
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