Bayern Munich sign Mane from Liverpool for reported €32M fee

Sadio Mane is leaving the Premier League after eight seasons.

Bayern Munich announced the signing of the 30-year-old from Liverpool on Wednesday, completing a deal that could cost as much as €41 million.

The agreement includes €32 million in guaranteed money and a further €9 million in performance-related bonuses, according to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano.

“My agent told me that there were also enquiries from other clubs, but for me, the feeling was right from the start when Bayern presented their plan with me,” Mane said of his move.

“It is one of the biggest clubs in the world and the team are always fighting for all the titles.”

Mane, who agreed to a three-year contract with the reigning Bundesliga champions, told Liverpool he wanted to leave shortly after the Champions League final on May 28. He still had a year remaining on his deal with the Premier League side.

Liverpool rejected Bayern’s first two bids before accepting their final offer on Friday. The arrival of Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez also seemed to unlock the negotiations. Nunez, 23, joined Liverpool from Benfica on Wednesday for an initial €75 million.

Mane spent two years at Southampton before joining Liverpool in 2016 and becoming one of the Premier League’s elite attackers. He racked up 120 goals and 38 assists in 269 appearances for the Reds while winning the Champions League in 2019, Premier League in 2020, and FA Cup and League Cup in 2022.

“One of Liverpool’s greatest ever players is leaving and we must acknowledge how significant this is,” Jurgen Klopp said. “The goals he scored, the trophies he won; a legend, for sure, but also a modern-day Liverpool icon.”

Now the Senegalese international will try to maintain his brilliance as Robert Lewandowski’s likely heir. The 33-year-old is actively pushing to leave Bayern after eight years at the club and has no intention of seeing out the year remaining on his contract.

Mane is a left-winger by trade and loves to cut in and dribble in the channels. However, he can operate as a center-forward, as he did in the second half of last season when Luis Diaz joined Liverpool and occupied the left flank. Mane finished the 2021-22 campaign with 23 goals in 51 appearances.