Sadio Mane disappointed with exit from Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich has done well this summer in terms of getting big fees for players that didn’t feature in their plans for next season. Lucas Hernandez was not keen on signing a new deal, so Bayern decided to sell him for club record fee to Paris Saint-Germain. The French international fetched a fee close to €50 million.
The Bavarian club boosted their transfer kitty for the summer last week by agreeing a deal for Sadio Mane. The Senegalese forward will be leaving Europe to play for Al Nassr next season. He will be linking up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Pro League.
Mane was determined to stay at Bayern, but the Bavarian club reportedly told him that he didn’t feature in their plans for next season. After missing out on Moussa Diaby, Al Nassr switched their attention to signing Mane. As per Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern will receive a fee close to €30 million, excluding bonuses.
The Senegalese forward signed a lucrative three-year deal with Al Nassr on Monday after travelling to Dubai for medical. While talking to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Sadio Mane expressed disappointment about how abruptly and quickly his time at Bayern came to an end.
"“Leaving FC Bayern hurts me. I would have wished for a different ending. I know that I could have helped the team this season. I wanted to prove it to everyone this season. Nevertheless, I only wish the club and the fans the best for the future.”"
Mane arrived in Bavaria last summer with a lot of fanfare. Bayern capitalised on his contract situation at Liverpool to get him on a reasonable fee. The Senegalese forward was expected to provide the cutting edge in the final third after the departure of Robert Lewandowski.
Life in Bavaria started on a good note for Mane. He was scoring regularly in the first quarter of the season. However, things started going downhill for him when Die Roten went through a poor run of form in September. He suffered a serious injury at the start of November, which kept him out of action for three months.
Sadio Mane made his return from injury in February and struggled to get back to his best. He managed to score only one goal in the final three months of the season. Mane was no longer the automatic choice in the starting lineup under Thomas Tuchel. The Senegalese forward was also fined and suspended for a game by Die Roten after a dressing room altercation with Leroy Sane.
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Bayern and Tuchel consistently dropped hints in the media that Mane may have to look for a new club in the summer. The 30-year-old forward eventually had to give in and look for a project where he was more valued. Mane will be disappointed by the early exit as he was eager to prove a point on the pitch next season.