The Saudi Pro League club has been pretty busy this summer and has managed to attract some of the best talents from Europe this summer. It all started with the historic signing of Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr back in January. Since then, a number of stars have begun migrating to the Saudi Pro League, giving into the lure of big paychecks.
And it now looks like a former Premier League star is also en route to joining the five times Ballon d’Or winner upfront. The player in question is Sadio Mane, who is currently at Bayern Munich. The forward has two years remaining on his contract, but Bayern Munich is also keen to let him leave after just one season. Mane has found himself out of the starting lineup due to many fitness and form issues throughout the season, and it looks like the Bavarians’ hierarchy isn’t happy with his performances despite his superstar status.
Bayern’s Sadio Mane fires back at German media
Sadio Mane joined the club last summer from Liverpool for a fee of €32 million. But he failed to live up to the high expectations that he set during his successful time at Liverpool. The Senegalese forward has a measly 12 goals and 6 assists in 38 appearances for the Bavarians. This is why the club reportedly wants to let him go.
But the main reason is said to be an incident back in April. During the 3-0 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Manchester City, the striker allegedly punched teammate Leroy Sane in the face. The club fined and gave Mane a one-game suspension, which he has already completed.
The player has been connected with a move to Al Nassr in recent days. Reportedly, he is already out of Bayern’s plans, and coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that Mane has “fallen short of expectations.”
His poor performance since joining has also led to him getting much criticism from the German media. There have been constant reports of his exit in circulation ever since last season.
Following all these rumors, Mane was back for pre-season training. It was then that a German reporter, Maximilian Koch, tried to get him to do an interview, in view of the recent speculations of his exit. But Mane seemed like he was disturbed. He stopped, though not for the interview.
« Vous me tuez tous les jours et maintenant vous voulez que je vous parle ? »
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) July 23, 2023
Sadio Mané à des journalistes. 👊
🎥 @_kochmaximilian pic.twitter.com/gnfC47OWde
He started lambasting the reporter, and said, “You kill me every day, and you want me to talk to you guys? Let’s go.” It is clear that the Senegal captain has had enough of hearing criticisms.
Al Nassr has submitted bid for Sadio Mane
The Bavarians will hope to sell him in order to get some cash as they look to sign a new striker. Recently, they have bidden twice for Tottenham striker Harry Kane, though both were rejected.
Saudi club Al Nassr will have no problems with paying a transfer fee, as seen in recent days. They have already sent in a €40m offer to Bayern for the player. Furthermore, the player will also be given an annual salary of €25m in a three-year contract.
🚨 Sadio Mané to Al Nassr is getting closer. 3 years deal worth €25M/year. 🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/p4llKEbnG7
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) July 23, 2023
It was thought Mane wanted to stay at Bayern and fight for his place there. But he has now been given the green light to his agency to discuss the transfer. This could be due to the immense pressure from the German media and the Bayern board.
Sadio Mane was also approached by Al Ahli, where his former teammate Roberto Firmino has also joined. Even Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq wanted him, who are also going for Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho. But it seems Al Nassr is the most well-placed team to acquire him.
It seems like Cristano Ronaldo is about to have a new attacking partner up front as Al Nassr continue to strengthen their team. What’s your take on this? Make sure to let us know in the comments.
