Bayern Munich reached an agreement with Liverpool on Friday to sign Senegalese forward Sadio Mane for an initial €32 million, The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano reports.
Bayern could pay an additional €8 million in bonuses, according to Romano.
Liverpool reportedly allowed Mane to leave after completing a potential €100-million deal for Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez. Mane had already agreed to personal terms on a three-year contract with the reigning Bundesliga champions.
The Reds rejected two bids before hashing out a deal with Bayern on Friday.
Mane informed Liverpool of his decision to leave shortly after the Champions League final May 28, according to Romano. Liverpool lost 1-0 to Madrid in Paris.
The 30-year-old could replace Robert Lewandowski, who’s pushed to leave Bayern amid reported interest from Barcelona. The Bavarians had told Lewandowski to honor his contract – which runs for another year – but may now soften their stance.
Mane compiled an impressive resume over the last six seasons with Liverpool. He won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup while racking up 120 goals and 38 assists in 269 appearances for the Merseyside outfit.
His contract with Liverpool was set to expire in June 2023.
That’s certainly the trend in professional sports.
More than a few players in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB have followed in the footsteps of their dads. In fact, in three of those four sports, the number of second-generation players has increased notably this century.
Second-generation players*
League
1981
2001
2021
NFL
1.0%
1.8%
3.4%
NHL
1.9%
1.5%
6.1%
MLB
1.9%
2.9%
1.9%
NBA
1.3%
1.6%
4.9%
*Minimum one game played
The NHL tops the list as 6.1% of players who took part in at least one game last season have a father who played in the league, up from 1.5% in 2001. The NBA is next with 4.9% (up from 1.6%) and the NFL was at 3.4% last season (up from 1.8%). MLB had the most second-generation players in 2001 (2.9%) but dropped to 1.9% in 2021.
What was it like to grow up with a father who played sports professionally? Did they push their sons to carry on their legacy? Did the kids have any advantages in their goal to become professional players?
“I just spent every moment with him,” Melvin Booker said of his son, Devin, when he was home during offseasons and Devin was a child. Courtesy Melvin Booker
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Devin moved to Mississippi from Michigan to attend high school — and so his dad could train him. For the next few years, Melvin was more than a dad. He was a coach, trainer and mentor.
“We were like best friends, together every day,” Melvin said. “I missed a lot of Devin’s life because I was overseas, and those seasons are like 10 months long over there. So, whenever we were together, it was like catching up.”
Melvin was sharing NBA-level coaching with his son — something not many, if any, of Devin’s peers in Mississippi were receiving. Melvin taught his son how to lift weights, how to eat right, how to put in time after practice with one-on-one drills.
It helped that Melvin was always one of Devin’s coaches, whether it was a head coach or an assistant on his high school or AAU teams. He’d give Devin in-game adjustments, dissecting the game and information at a pro level. And Devin soaked it all in.
Devin was the definition of a “Basketball Jones.” Being an NBA player was all he wanted to be, and Melvin used his career as a blueprint for Devin, who has gone on to be an NBA All-Star. He also made sure to not push Devin too hard.
“There’s a thin line,” Melvin said. “I understand that as well.
“We never had one bump in the road along the way.”
It all hit Melvin on the bus from the hotel to the 2015 NBA draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He sat by himself as the bus inched along in traffic, giving Melvin time to reflect on the moment.
“I’m like, ‘My son’s dream is about to come true,'” Melvin remembered.
He started to tear up.
Now, whenever Melvin watches Devin in person or on TV, he still sees the little boy who’d dribble around the house and talk about making it big.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” Melvin said. “It’s hard to even explain it in words.
“He’s a professional basketball player, so it worked out for him.” — Josh Weinfuss
Carolina Hurricanes center Max Domi (left) thought it was totally normal to hang out with NHL greats like Mats Sundin when he was a kid and his dad, Tie (right), played in the league. Courtesy Max Domi
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