Sadio Mane has joked that he's currently in hot water with Liverpool fans - and revealed that he's a Marseille fan.
The 30-year-old wants to leave Anfield this summer but an exit has been made difficult by the Reds' reluctance to sell. Mane, who has one year remaining on his contract, is wanted by Bayern Munich, but LaLiga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been linked.
After causing a stir with his comments while on international duty with Senegal, the Liverpool star was again put on the spot by a reporter, who asked: "So, Sadio - Bayern, Real Madrid or Barcelona?" following his hat-trick in the side's 3-1 victory over Benin on Saturday.
"You know you got me in trouble, you got me in trouble with the Liverpool supporters currently," Mane replied with a smile. "But hey, you know I'm not a fan of these teams. My club is Marseille. I would rather say Marseille."
Mane was Jurgen Klopp 's first major signing as Reds boss back in 2016 but now wants a new challenge. The "trouble" which the former Southampton star was referring to came pre-match, as he appeared to suggest that he would follow the will of his nation regarding his future, up to 70 per cent of whom allegedly want to see him at a new club.
Mane was forced to clarify his comments, explaining to Canal Plus: "I spoke yesterday while joking with a bit of humour and it was everywhere. I think we'll stop there. Liverpool is a club I respect a lot. The fans adopted me since day one. Regarding the future, we'll see."
While Liverpool rejected Bayern's first transfer bid, the forward has reportedly already agreed a three-year deal with the club. It's claimed that the German giants would be happy to pay the Reds as much as €30million (£25.6m) plus add-ons which could rise to €10m (£8.5m).
Bayern president Herbert Hainer has even claimed that his club can sign whoever they want, confidently declaring to BILD : "If we really want a player, we are able to get him, but he has to suit us."
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What has prompted the Bundesliga champions to make a move for Mane is Robert Lewandowski 's desire to depart Bavaria, with Barcelona the overwhelming favourites to earn his signature. Hainer doesn't think the Poland captain will leave, though, adding: "We're in the fortunate position that we don't have any financial difficulties.
"We want to have the best players and Robert is one of the best. That's why I'm confident that he'll be with us again next season. Robert is a full professional, he wants to play football."
