Why Mane's punch-up with Sane is the perfect opportunity for Man Utd

Stuart Telford

• 13 Apr 2023 15:00 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are in the market for a winger and it looks like Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane can't both stay at Bayern Munich after the pair came to blows on Tuesday…

Bayern were swept aside 3-0 by Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, and tensions between Mane and Sane boiled over after the final whistle.

During the game, Mane had made a run expecting a through-ball, and Sane had instead played short with possession breaking down. The pair argued on the pitch but things got uglier inside the Etihad changing rooms.

READ: Sadio Mane PUNCHES Leroy Sane in the face

According to a report from German daily Bild, and since corroborated by Sky Germany, Mane punched Sane in the face, cutting him in the lip, before teammates had time to intervene.

Mane - who joined Bayern in a €41 million deal from Liverpool last summer - has been suspended and fined by the club, but it is Sane he could now be edging closer to a move to Man Utd.

Why Sane and not Mane?

Mane is 31, so his re-sale value is diminishing all the time, while Sane is still 27, under contract until 2025, and valued at €59.7 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm - a figure Bayern would be happy to recoup yet well within United's reach.

READ: Bayern Munich wages: How much does each player earn?

Sane has largely underwhelmed since joining Bayern from Man City for €49m in 2020 - even if he is enjoying his most prolific season in Bavaria to date - and perhaps crucially, his family have continued living in Manchester.

"Unfortunately, there was complex renovation work at my house, so it was not habitable," Sane explained. "My wife and the kids returned to our old apartment in Manchester."

Whilst that may have been a temporary plan, the fact Sane still owns property in Manchester smooths the path to a return to the City, if not with Man City.

United's desire for a winger is understandable. Marcus Rashford is performing at an elite level, largely from the flank, but the 27-goal forward is more taker than maker while Antony and Jadon Sancho have both flattered to deceive to varying degrees this season.