Sadio Mane is set to leave Bayern Munich as part of a summer shakeup, but the long-serving Liverpool forward will not be returning to Anfield.
In the wake of their final-day triumph in the Bundesliga, Bayern exacted immediate change as both chief executive Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic were sacked.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over Koln that clinched the title, Thomas Tuchel admitted the news “cast a bit of a cloud” over his side’s success.
But Tuchel is now, according to The Athletic‘s Raphael Honigstein, set to be given “a lot more power than [Bayern] usually have” with their managers.
That, it would appear, includes the departure of Mane after only a year at the Allianz Arena, following a clash with team-mate Leroy Sane in April that saw him fined and suspended by the club.
It was reported soon after the incident that Bayern would “try everything” to sell their No. 17, while more recently Sky Germany‘s Florian Plettenberg claimed the Premier League was his “most realistic option.”
Unsurprisingly, this has led to speculation over a move back to Anfield, and this week the Liverpool Echo have clumsily covered reports from BILD that suggest he could make a “shock return.”
With no link to the original source, the Echo‘s report gives little context behind the claim that Mane could rejoin Liverpool.
Either way, the 31-year-old will not be moving back to his former club – for a variety of reasons.
Primarily this comes with Jurgen Klopp having a plethora of attacking options already at his disposal, with Luis Diaz brought in ahead of Mane’s exit and both Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo arriving since.
Roberto Firmino has now left on a free transfer, but the manager also has Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota as part of his forward line.
There are high hopes for Ben Doak coming through, too, while a shift in system could put more emphasis on Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott as long-term attacking options.
Beyond that, Liverpool’s priorities in the transfer market undoubtedly lie elsewhere, with funds required for a major rebuild in the midfield.
Brighton‘s Alexis Mac Allister is the chief target, but reliable links have been made with OGC Nice’s Khephren Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone, Chelsea‘s Mason Mount and Bayern’s Ryan Gravenberch.
With James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Arthur all having left, the focus will be on bringing at least two – and likely three – new midfielders.
Bayern may be eager to sell Mane, and he may be open to a return to Anfield, but the fees involved would no longer make sense for Liverpool.
Reporting in April, GOAL‘s Neil Jones explained that “Liverpool sources have offered little encouragement to such stories,” while BILD themselves have claimed that re-signing is “not an option.”
That is not to mention the glaring decline he has endured since switching clubs, with Mane finding himself out of favour at Bayern due to a disconnect on the pitch.
Though Mane added another title to his list of honours this season, he finds himself in limbo this summer.
And with Liverpool off the cards, it remains to be seen where he lands next.