Bayern Munich have signed Senegalese striker Sadio Mané, that after having won everything in his six seasons in Liverpool, he was looking for a new challenge for his career, finding in the Bavarian club, with which he has signed for three seasons, a project that lives up to his ambition.
The Senegalese, candidate for the Ballon d’Or, arrives in Bavaria at the peak of his career, to a club used to attracting promising players to elevate them to star status: Arjen Robben, Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski…
At 30 years old, Mané would have cost the Germans a sum close to 41 million euros (43 million dollars), a figure for which Liverpool says goodbye to its African striker, that in six seasons at the club he won the Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Club World Cup.
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But for the German club, this investment seemed essential given that Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry, two of their star attackers, could leave the squad at the end of the season.
Mané’s opinion of his arrival at Bayern Munich
“My agent told me that there were demands from other clubs, but for me the sensations were correct from the beginning when Bayern presented their plan with me,” Mané told Bild newspaper. “For me, it was the right club at the right time,” he added.
“It is one of the biggest clubs in the world. And the team is always fighting for all the titles,” he explained.
The Senegalese has scored 111 goals in 263 Premier League games for Southampton FC (from 2014 to 2016) and Liverpool (since 2016), in addition to 47 assists.
His performance in the Champions League has also been up to par, with 55 games, 24 goals and 8 assists.
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Before arriving in England, Mané made himself known at RB Salzburg (63 games and 31 goals) where he learned German. But it was in Liverpool where the Senegalese acquired his world star status and where he became a legend for the thousands of ‘Reds’ fans.
His arrival at Anfield after two seasons at Southampton was at that time the second most expensive signing in the club’s history for 37 million pounds (43 million euros).
With Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, he is part of the signings between 2015-2018 that transformed the team and returned it to the top of England and Europe.
Not only a fantastic player for us on the pitch, but a fantastic person too…
Sadio kept his special promise after meeting lifelong fan Lee Swan through @NIVEAMENUK‘s Dear Liverpool FC series 🥰 pic.twitter.com/Gu8XZzzcrN
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 22, 2022
For the Senegalese player, rigor is important. His life revolves around three axes: soccer, taking care of his body to stay competitive as long as possible, and prayer, with religion occupying an important but discreet place in his life.
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At 30 years old, after having won the first Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal’s history and qualifying his team for the World Cup in Qatar, scoring the decisive penalty on both occasions, Mané wanted to face a new challenge in his career.
He arrives at Bayern, who have just won the Bundesliga for the tenth consecutive year and with whom the player wants to “do everything to ensure that I win more titles with my teammates.”
“Sadio Mané is a global star, who makes Bayern grow and increases the attractiveness of the Bundesliga,” said Bayern president Herbert Hainer. “Fans come to stadiums to see unique players like him,” he added.
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with AFP
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