Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has admitted he is holding talks with Sadio Mane after claims the former Liverpool star is unhappy at the club.
Earlier this year Mane brought the curtain down on six trophy-laden seasons at Anfield, joining the German champions in what appeared a risk-free transfer. But after a bright start which saw him score three goals in as many Bundesliga games, his form has deserted him.
Prior to the international break Mane had gone six games without a goal, with boss Julian Nagelsmann hauling him off against Barcelona and Augbsburg. And Salihamidzic has claimed that while there is no panic about the Senegal international, he is keeping in close tag to help his integration.
"Sadio still needs a little time, he has to get used to the Bundesliga too, but he will. I speak regularly with him" he told Bild. "I know what it's like to arrive as a newcomer to a team, in a different country, in a different city, in a slightly different football culture.
"Sadio is in this process, everything will soon be more familiar to him and we will soon see that on the pitch too. He is one of the best players in the world, we will still have a lot of joy with him.”
Nagelsmann has been open about the £27.1million signing, insisting he will need time to show his worth. Speaking after the win over Barcelona, the Bayern boss stated there was nothing out of the ordinary with his inconsistent form.
“He's a new signing. He just needs to adapt. He was trying. I'm certain he will succeed for us,” he explained. Everything I need to say about Sadio, I'll say to him and not in the media.
"He played a new position today, which of course he didn't play so much last year at Liverpool, but the years before that. It's quite normal as a newcomer who of course still has to adapt to certain procedures that are a bit different to those at Liverpool.
He added: “I already said during the week that I would like him to do certain things more. Maybe less looking for the ball or team-mates and trying to be a bit more self-confident, but we are very happy that we have him and he will put his stamp on our game.”
This comes amid suggestions from former Liverpool and Bayern star Dietmarr Hamann that the forward is looking unhappy with his role at The Allianz and urged bosses to quickly address it. He told GMX: “I saw him at Liverpool FC, where he played through the middle. That is not his position. Now he’s taking that position at FC Bayern as well.
"He is at his best when he comes from the outside. He doesn’t look happy to me," he told GMX. “Nobody is talking about Mane at the moment. He seems isolated and hardly takes part in the game. FC Bayern has to get a grip on that.”
