Former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann believes Sadio Mane wants to join Bayern Munich and thinks it is ‘very likely’ the move will happen.
The German side have made the Reds forward their top target and reportedly had a £25m bid rejected but are expected to return with a further offer.
Mane’s future has dominated the headlines during the past week with the Senegalese star’s contract up at the end of next season and no signs of any progress over an extension.
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The 30-year-old has continued to send cryptic hints regarding his future and the ECHO understands he wants to leave the club, with Bayern favourites for his signature.
Speaking ahead of his country’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin on Friday, Mane added further confusion surrounding his future. He said: “Isn't it between 60 to 70% of Senegalese want me to leave Liverpool? I will do what they want. We will see soon! The future will tell us.”
He later clarified those comments after the game on Saturday night, where he scored a hat-trick to become Senegal’s all-time top scorer. Speaking to Canal+, Mane said: "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.”
And for Hamann, who came through the youth ranks at Bayern Munich and racked up over 100 appearances for the club, before a seven-year stint at Anfield from 1999-2006, he is confident Mane will get his move.
“Yeah, what I hear is that he wants to come to Munich,” he told talkSPORT. “He's made it pretty clear that he thinks his time in Liverpool is up and he wants to come and now it's a matter of how much Liverpool will want for him.
“Obviously Robert Lewandowski wants to join Barcelona, he only has a year left on his contract, so I think Bayern Munich will want to get both deals done in the next few days or next few weeks, but I think it's very likely that he plays his football here next year.”
Mane will no doubt go down in folklore at Anfield with his impact, having scored 120 goals in 269 games since his £34m move from Southampton in 2016. Not only has he been part of Liverpool’s most iconic team of the modern era, but he has won every trophy possible - the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and EFL Cup.
Despite the current difference in valuation between the two clubs, Mane is reportedly already making plans to move to Bavaria, according to the Daily Mail. They state he has spoken to fellow Reds star Thiago about staying in the house he owns in the city. Thiago spent seven years at Bayern before arriving on Merseyside in 2020 and his property has been empty since he made the switch.
As previously reported by the ECHO , Liverpool will not accept a fee below £40million for Mane and Jurgen Klopp would like a replacement lined up before any move is sanctioned.
