As the Premier League season winds down, the transfer rumor mill has heated right up. With Championship Sunday less than a week away now, it’s time to cast an eye at the player movement market.
There is no shortage of rumors when it comes to the transfer market. Follow this series throughout the summer as I look at the likelihood of some of the transfer rumors doing the rounds and whether I think they will work out.
SADIO MANE
Since the opening day of the 2016/17 season, the Liverpool faithful has adored Senegal’s Sadio Mané. Mané scoring the fourth goal in that match and celebrating with Jurgen Klopp is an iconic image of the German gaffer’s reign on Merseyside. Of course, the Senegalese superstar would have plenty more moments like that. He has lifted countless trophies, scored countless goals, and has even had success on the international stage.
Just this year, Sadio Mane lead his nation to their first ever AFCON title. Then he returned to Merseyside, where he has been crucial for the Reds as they pushed Manchester City all the way in the race for the Premier League title.
He is a Liverpool legend. Which makes you wonder how on earth it has come to this.
The Anfield club finds itself in a position where both Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah have expiring contracts. All the talk has surrounded Mohamed Salah’s contract.
Not a lot has been said about Sadio Mané’s. Now Liverpool finds one of the best players to grace Anfield this millennium in this series of articles.
Sources reported earlier this month that Bayern chief Hasan Salihamidzic sought Mane’s agents to gauge his interest in a move to Bayern. Dismissed as paper talk to begin with, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg confirmed Bayern’s interest.
Mané turns 30 by the time we embark on a new season and Liverpool’s hierarchy is reluctant to hand out mega deals to over 30s. Add to the fact Bayern will have some extra room in their wage budget with Robert Lewandowski leaving this summer. This rumor might just have some legs to it.
LIKELIHOOD 50%
As a Liverpool fan, I hope that this doesn’t happen. But the Reds have a lot of star power at the moment. And for them, it’s a lot of star power with contracts expiring at the same time. That being said, I am not convinced this will happen. One thing I am sure of, though, is it’ll be Salah or Mane getting a new deal. Not both of them. That opens the door for Bayern to swoop in.
Stuart Kavanagh is an up-and-coming sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is also the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.