Bayern Munich appear to be closing in on Liverpool’s Sadio Mane.
What’s the word?
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who tweeted that the forward had agreed on personal terms with the Bavarian club.
He wrote:
“Sadio Mané has reached full verbal agreement with Bayern on personal terms. Three year contract ready – talks will enter into final stages with Liverpool, new bid set to be submitted.”
He concluded by noting that “it’s really close now”, as the Reds prepare to finalise the loss of one of their superstars.
Nunez can outperform him
Whilst this may be a down heartening sight for Liverpool fans, the recent announcement of Darwin Nunez is sure to lift spirits.
The free-scoring Uruguayan comes in for a hefty fee, a reported £64m up front that could rise to a club record fee of £85m. However, with plenty of likely imminent sales, this seems like another piece of business that will get lost in Jurgen Klopp’s intelligent net spend web.
Nunez scored 26 goals last season in just 28 games, whilst also recording a further four assists. This already heavily dwarfs that of Mane’s return for Liverpool, 16 goals, with both having operated as central strikers or left wingers throughout the season.
The loss of their Senegalese sensation, whilst it will be felt heavily, is not so tough to take due to Salah and Jota offering similar aspects to Liverpool’s side.
Meanwhile, the £49.5m-rated man offers something that the Reds have lacked: an aerial presence and some much-needed physicality.
Mane was once dubbed “a machine” by his manager, however with Nunez nearly four inches taller, there is a huge gulf in the physicality mentioned.
Senegal’s manager Aliou Cisse has recently pushed for Mane to make the switch, claiming “the club where he will feel the best is Bayern”.
Perhaps Mane may succeed in Germany, and his phenomenal goalscoring record for a winger in the league suggests he would succeed anywhere.
But it appears that Liverpool’s Dutch colossus Virgil van Dijk will be pleased to see the deal for his replacement go through, as he spoke highly of the Uruguayan after their meeting in the Champions League this season.
He named him as one of the toughest forwards he had played against labelling the attacker as “very direct, quick, tall, strong.”
Whilst scout Jacek Kulig has labelled him the “complete forward.”
Mane has certainly written himself into Liverpool’s history books, and his exit was always sure to bring about sadness, however, the arrival of this highly-rated youngster will go a long way towards softening the blow.
It is uncertain how Mane will fair in Germany, but Nunez has all the hallmarks of a top Premier League striker.
In other news, Liverpool must swoop for “absolutely crazy” £54m-rated teen, he could be Thiago 2.0.
