Bayern Munich tell Sadio Mane to leave amid Saudi interest

Stuart Telford

• 13 Jul 2023 09:13 BST
• 3 min read

Bayern Munich are keen to sell Sadio Mane to Saudi Arabian suitors just one year on from his sensational €41 million transfer from Liverpool.

Mane stunned world football last summer when he swapped Liverpool for Bayern. A mainstay for the Reds, he had contributed 120 goals and 48 assists on the way to Champions League and Premier League triumphs, and remained a Jurgen Klopp favourite.

But his time in Munich has been disappointing. Mane struggled with injury, only scored seven Bundesliga goals from 25 appearances, and punched teammate Leroy Sane after Bayern were knocked out of the Champions League by Manchester City in April.

READ: Man Utd and Newcastle get game-changing Romano update on Mane

Now, Saudi Pro League trio Al-Ahli, Al-Ettifaq and Al-Nassr have been credited with an interest, and Bayern are open to offers, according to reports in Germany.

Bayern 'no longer planning' with Mane

"Sadio Mane, as Kicker has learned, has been informed internally that the club is no longer planning to work with him in the coming season," Georf Holzner writes. "The Senegalese is expected to leave Bayern in this transfer window. For Bayern, it's also about saving on Mane's salary."

Mane, who's highest ETV was €74.5m, is still valued at €47.8m per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, although it is understood that Bayern would accept as little as €20m as they look to unload a problem player from their squad.

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

Mane is also Bayern's top earner on €22m a year before tax - €1m more than club captain and arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Manuel Neuer - which means the club would stand to save €44m over the duration of his current contract.

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is being given significant say in Bayern's transfer business this summer, his first as they head coach, and his former Borussia Dortmund star Raphael Guerreiro has already been signed.

Bayern remain in the race for Tottenham Hotspur and England star Harry Kane, although they have seen two bids knocked back by the North London club.