Why is Sadio Mane leaving Liverpool? Well, that remains to be seen, but it’s happening.
All we know, at the moment, is that the Senegal international certainly seems keen to end his six-year stay at Anfield, following a £30 million transfer in 2016.
After Liverpool’s Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid, a report from The Guardian – co-written by Fabrizio Romano – stated that the player has decided to leave the Reds and it’ll be for around the same amount he was bought for.
Earlier that week, it was reported by Sport 1 that the 30-year-old Bayern Munich and Real Madrid target was unhappy with a lack of ‘financial appreciation’ from Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners.
The former Southampton attacker is only earning £100,000 per week [Spotrac], half what the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Thiago Alcantara are taking home.
The prospect of Mane leaving Liverpool has always been possible, with his contract expiring next summer, but even FSG have been left stunned by how suddenly this is happening.
According to Graeme Bailey, writing for Anfield Watch, the Reds’ hierarchy were ‘taken aback’ when Mane ‘demanded’ his exit on Merseyside in May.
Bailey added that FSG were fully intending to talk to the player about his contract situation and resolve it this summer.
But unfortunately for the Premier League giants, who narrowly finished second to Manchester City in the title race, it appears too little, too late.
According to Correio da Manha, Liverpool are even more determined to sign Darwin Nunez as his replacement now at Anfield, but that’ll set the club back some £85 million.
Mane proved himself a world-class player for Jurgen Klopp during the second half of last season – and most of the past six years, if we’re honest.
There’s no getting away from the fact he was a massive asset to Liverpool, netting 120 goals in 269 appearances, but unfortunately, it appears to be over, even if FSG weren’t expecting it so soon.
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