Bayern Munich announce signing of Sadio Mane until 2025
The wait is finally over as Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Senegal international Sadio Mane from Liverpool until 2025.
The Reds will get a €32 million fixed fee with an additional €6 million based on appearances, plus €3 million for individual and team achievements in the course of his three-year contract.
This brings an official end to Mane’s six-year spell at Anfield, where he moved to from St Mary’s Stadium after Liverpool paid £34m to Southampton in June 2016. He scored 120 goals in 269 games, finishing last season with 23 goals in all competitions.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who had him join Liverpool after missing out on him while managing Borussia Dortmund, spoke to the club's official website of the admiration he has for the 30-year-old with whom he took all of England by storm. The German manager said: “It’s a big moment. There is no point in anyone trying to pretend otherwise.
“One of Liverpool’s greatest ever players is leaving and we must acknowledge how significant this is. He leaves with our gratitude and our love. He leaves with his status among the greats guaranteed. And, yes, he leaves in a moment where he is one of the best players in world football.
“Since he first stepped through the door, he made us better. If someone had told us in that moment what he would go on to contribute and achieve for this club, I’m not sure it would have been possible to comprehend in that moment. Not the scale of it at least. Sadio made it all possible.
“To be that good for such a sustained period and continuously improve season on season – no matter how high he set his own bar in the previous one – is an example to any player anywhere on the planet that professionalism and dedication leads to reward.
“I respect completely his decision and I’m sure our supporters do also. If you love LFC, you have to love Sadio – non-negotiable. It is possible to do this while accepting our loss is Bayern’s gain.
“We wish him nothing but success in every match he plays in, unless, of course, it’s against us. His star will continue to rise, I have no doubts.”
Sadio Mane is a world star, Bayern president says
After Liverpool and Bayern announced the Senegal international’s move, Herbert Hainer, Bayern’s president said of the club’s new acquisition: "Sadio Mané is a global star, who underlines the appeal of FC Bayern and will increase the attractiveness of the Bundesliga as a whole. Fans come to the stadiums to see such unique players. It's great that our board led by Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidžić have managed to sign a player like Sadio Mané for FC Bayern."
Oliver Kahn, Bayern assured fans that the 2019 African Player of the Year was there to win more titles for the club and delight the fans. “We're sure that Sadio Mané will delight our fans in the coming years with his spectacular style of play,” Kahn said. "He's ambitious and eager to win more titles. This is a very strong package. With players like him at FC Bayern, all the biggest goals are possible."
The Bavarians’ sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić, said that Mane’s signing was a statement of the club’s ambitions. "The fact that he's joining FC Bayern shows that our club and he have big aims,” the sporting director said. “Sadio Mané fits perfectly with the football that FC Bayern play under Julian Nagelsmann."
Mane: I am Liverpool’s number one fan
Mane, in his parting words to Liverpool, thanked the fans and assured them of his support for the club for life. "It is really strange to no longer be a Liverpool player but I had an unbelievable time. I am going to be Liverpool's number one fan forever."
On his signing for Bayern, the 2021 African Cup of Nations winner said: "We spoke a lot and I felt big interest from this great club right from the beginning, so for me there were no doubts. It's the right time for this challenge. I want to achieve a lot with this club, in Europe too. During my time in Salzburg I watched a lot of Bayern games - I really like this club!"
Football Ant: The world's best football tipsters community.Get live scores, halftime and full time soccer results, goal scorers and assistants, cards, substitutions, match statistics, live stream and football predictions from Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1.