The Senegalese comes from Liverpool FC to Munich. He is not a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is willing to change. But he has other qualities.
Bayern Sadio Mané can cost 32 million euros – but it can also be even more expensive.
At the beginning of the week, the tabloids published an interesting preview of the upcoming dates that Sadio Mané is expecting in Munich. “This is how the first Mané days in Munich go. Medical check Tuesday, performance in the stadium on Wednesday,” noted “Bild”; Munich’s “tz” was even able to report in more detail: “Tuesday, June 21: Medical check-up by Sadio Mané in Munich; Tuesday, June 21: Signature of the three-year contract with FC Bayern; Wednesday 22 June: Mané presentation at the Allianz Arena; Wednesday, June 22nd: press conference with Sadio Mané.»
It didn’t look like a professional footballer’s specifications on the way to signing a contract. It reads more like the schedule of a head of state honoring the capital of a friendly country. And perhaps it is therefore not entirely wrong when some speak of a “king transfer” that Mané represents for Munich. Since Wednesday afternoon it has been official that the Senegalese from Liverpool will become a Bavarian.
The transfer fee is moderate
Bayern Sadio Mané can cost 32 million euros. If they are as successful together as they hope, this sum can increase to 41 million euros. A comparatively moderate amount for a player like him. This is due to the fact that Mané’s contract in Liverpool expires next year.
Everywhere now the people of Munich can be congratulated. Sadio Mané in Munich: At first glance, this is a spectacular change, and at second glance it is also an extremely attractive one. When was the last time there was such murmuring about a player who was willing to change and who was drawn to Munich?
Sure, there was also a lot of talk about Manuel Neuer, Mario Götze and Robert Lewandowski at the time. But Sadio Mané is of a different caliber: Unlike the aforementioned players, he does not come to Munich as a young, ambitious player, not as someone who wants to make it into the world class there. He comes as a world star.
A dynamic of the special class: Sadio Mané.
In fact, it’s been 15 years since Bayern received such sympathy on the occasion of a transfer. At that time they were able to win the French Franck Ribéry and the Italian Luca Toni, two formative players of the two national teams that had faced each other in the 2006 World Cup final the year before.
Mané doesn’t appear as a worn-out figure either, but in full possession of his powers: the 30-year-old winger was one of the most striking figures in Liverpool’s 0-1 defeat against Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League. And in February, Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations under Captain Mané.
Lewandowski urges his departure
In the Liverpool jersey, Mané formed an extremely accomplished wing duo with Egyptian Mohamed Salah. Although Salah has a little more refinement than the Senegalese. But Mané has other qualities in addition to tremendous dynamics: Anyone who gets him should be aware that the player is one of those rare species that lays claim to a role as a leader. In Senegal’s national team this role came naturally to him, but at times he acted a little overzealously.
One person who wants to leave Bayern certainly does not have the ability to see himself as a leader: Robert Lewandowski. At regular intervals, the soon to be 34-year-old Pole has confirmed that his career with the German record champion has come to an end. His relationship with coach Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly not entirely untroubled. When Nagelsmann wanted to familiarize him with a new tactical variant, the Pole is said to have reminded the coach that it was he who had scored 40 goals in the previous season.
But Lewandowski is not one of those players who take the initiative in big games. Mané has that ahead of him. Four years ago in Kyiv, when Mohamed Salah was sidelined by Sergio Ramos in the final of the Champions League against Real Madrid, it was Mané who resolutely fought back against defeat. The following year he was instrumental in Liverpool winning the trophy against Tottenham.
In the course of his career, Mané has always shown himself willing to integrate: Salzburg, Southampton, Liverpool – at each of his stations people like to remember him.
Jamie Carragher says: “Thanks, Sadio!”
Jamie Carragher, once a defender in the big Liverpool team that defeated Milan in a penalty shoot-out in 2005 after going down 3-0 in the Champions League final, is likely to have formulated what Sadio Mané said for coach Jürgen’s team on behalf of large parts of the appendix Klopp means: “My favorite player at Liverpool in this era is final.” Mané is “easy to care for”, hardly ever injured and guarantees trophies and goals in abundance through strong performances. Mané, according to the legendary defender, is “a true Liverpool legend. Thank you, Sadio!”
The reaction of Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp was a bit cooler. Klopp is likely to appreciate Mané’s qualities, but Mané’s situation was not dissimilar to that of Robert Lewandowski at FC Bayern: Both would like to see themselves valued a little more than before – which is nowhere clearer than on the payslip.
Liverpool FC did not want to keep Mané at any price and proceeded in a similar way as Bayern should soon do with Lewandowski. However, the Pole in Munich cannot be replaced on an equal footing. Bayern will not find a center forward who has consistently guaranteed 30 goals or more in the Bundesliga for many years in the versatile Sadio Mané. But he is at least a player for the really big moments.