Sadio Mané is closing in on a move to Bayern Munich, and the fact that Liverpool made a small profit on him proves again just how good Liverpool are on the market....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Sadio Mané’s days as a Liverpool player are numbered, and are literally now into the last days. News broke on Friday that Bayern Munich have agreed to meet Liverpool’s asking price for the Senegal forward, ending his six-year stint at Anfield.
The deal has long thought to be on the cards, with it only a matter of time before Bayern and Liverpool came to agree terms on a deal. Mané will sign a three-year contract with the German champions, and will likely replace Robert Lewandowski, who wants to join Barcelona.
Mané’s legacy, of course, has long since been secured as a Liverpool player: 120 goals, 48 assists and 269 games in all competitions, not to mention winning every single trophy available to him during his time at the club, means he will go down as one of the club’s best ever forwards.
In many ways, the real beginning of the Jürgen Klopp era began with his signing from Southampton in the summer of 2016. Mané is the quintessential Klopp player: quick, dynamic, powerful and skilful, and his absence will be sorely felt when the 2022/23 season starts.
But by the same token, there can be little doubt that Liverpool have done extraordinarily well out of the Mané deal. Liverpool have extracted six years of impeccable service from Mané, he’s leaving the club now as a 30-year-old, and the club are making a small profit on the £30m they paid Southampton for him. Whichever way you look at it, that’s brilliant business.
Moreover, the fact that Mané also had a year left on his contract, and for Bayern to potentially lowball Liverpool, shouldn’t be forgotten either. Bayern are paying a guaranteed £28m for him, and should bonuses be met, that figure will rise to £35m, representing a profit of around £5m.
Shrewd business by Michael Edwards and Julian Ward.
Fans of rival clubs criticised Liverpool for splashing £85m on Darwin Núñez, yet when one considers what the club are receiving for Mané, the fee for Nunez is reduced to around £60m or less, which is pretty much in line with what any club can expect to pay for an up-and-coming striker in the modern age.
The Mané negotiations have given everyone yet another reminder of why Liverpool are arguably the best in the business when it comes to the transfer market.
Yes, of course everyone remembers the Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona deal and the amount of money Liverpool got for the Brazilian, which in turn allowed the club to buy Alisson, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk.
But they are also known for the less famous deals, such as signing Thiago Alcântara for around £20m, selling Rhian Brewster to Sheffield United for £23m, as well as the multitude of young players Liverpool have let go with eventual sell-on clauses.
There are simply far better in making money stretch in the transfer market like Liverpool, masters of the transfer market.
