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Premier League giants Liverpool are reportedly (via Goal) preparing to re-open contract discussions with Sadio Mane, amid supposed interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The Senegal international is set to enter the final year of his contract in June and is yet to sign an extension with the Reds.
Sadio Mane is currently one of the best forwards in the world. He is quick, committed, and knows how to influence the outcome of a match in a heartbeat.
Since joining the Reds in 2016, Mane has helped the club win their sixth Champions League and end their Premier League drought. Still very much an integral member of the team, Mane is now doing his best to help the Merseysiders bag their first-ever quadruple.
In a recent report, it was claimed that Bayern Munich are keen on bringing the player to the Allianz Arena in the summer. Mane’s agent Bjorn Bezemer met with Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, but that meeting presumably revolved around Konrad Laimer, who is also represented by Bezemer. Barcelona are also supposedly in pursuit of the Senegalese, with reports claiming that the player himself is also open to a move to La Liga.
Sources from Liverpool, however, claim that they are not worried about Mane’s contract renewal. The player’s agent Bjorn Bezemer has a good relationship with the Reds’ soon-to-be sporting director, Julian Ward, which could go in Liverpool’s favor. The club has scheduled a meeting with Bezemer for the end of the 2021-22 campaign, where fresh terms will be laid out. Whether the player accepts them or moves out remains to be seen.
Mane, who has lately been operating as a false 9, has featured in 47 games for the Reds this season, recording 21 goals and four assists. He is currently valued at a whopping €80 million by Transfermarkt.
Mohamed Salah’s uncertain future at Liverpool complicates life for Sadio Mane
Like Mane, Mohamed Salah will also exhaust his contract at the end of 2023. Retaining the Egyptian, who is the leading goalscorer (22) in the Premier League this season, is the top-most priority for the Merseysiders. This means that they are unlikely to go for Mane’s renewal before Salah’s one is dealt with.
Salah’s new contract could break Liverpool’s wage structure, which could have a negative impact on Mane’s extension. Considering the way the former Southampton player has performed, his wages should either be on-par or comparable to Salah’s. Unless the Reds offer him that, Mane’s prospective suitors could potentially swoop in and look to prise him away from Anfield.
