Sadio Mane insists he is “very happy” at Liverpool amid speculation linking him with a summer transfer to Bayern Munich.
The Senegalese international played a pivotal role for Jurgen Klopp’s side once again on Tuesday night, popping up with a crucial second-half winner as they kept their Premier League title and quadruple hopes alive with a nervy 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.
That latest match-winning turn came just hours after more reports emerged that Mane could leave Liverpool for Bayern at the end of the season, with Barcelona also credited with an interest in his signature.
Mane - along with team-mates Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino - is about to enter the final year of his contract at Anfield, with speculation from Sky Germany that negotiations over an extension have proven tricky and that the player is unhappy that talks with Salah have taken precedence.
But asked by Sky Sports after the victory at Villa Park if he had ever been happier at Liverpool, the 30-year-old said: “Yeah, sure, when we won the trophies I think I was more happy.
“But I think I just try to enjoy every moment and try to score and assist for my team-mates. I think it is all about the team or nothing, the boys make it easier for me so I am obviously very happy.”
Klopp - now contracted to Liverpool until the summer of 2026 - would be at pains to lose the services of Mane, who has been a crucial player for the club since joining from Southampton in a £34million deal in 2016, winning plenty of silverware and netting 119 goals in 266 appearances across all competitions.
The German was full of praise following the player’s timely contribution on Tuesday, telling Sky: “He’s a machine, I told him after the game. [He’s a] massive player, his physicality is brutal. The mix of technique, desire and physicality.
“You can see [he has] a few yards in the legs, we can see it to be honest. He’s a fantastic, world-class player.”
