Sadio Mane's move to Bayern Munich is all but done and dusted. The Senegalese icon was spotted in a die Roten kit, having undergone a medical with the Bundesliga champions ahead of his $43M move to the Allianz Arena.
With the former Southampton ace entering the final year of his Liverpool contract, speculation regarding his future at Anfield was always inevitable. After the recent UEFA Champions League final, which ended in defeat for Jurgen Klopp's side, the 30-year-old made the decision to bring an end to his six-year spell in Merseyside in favor of the Bavarians.
His departure, and the cash raised by his sale, helped facilitate Liverpool's Darwin Nunez deal, with the English giants signing the Uruguayan striker to replace the goalscorer. But with Mane being one of the best players in the world, why was the attacker so adamant on joining Bayern Munich, an elite club playing in a not-so-elite and competitive league?
Sadio spoke for the first time since wrapping up his move to Germany, telling Bild that despite there being interest from other clubs in Europe, his decision was already made once Bayern Munich entered the conversation.
"When my agent first told me about Bayern's interest, I was immediately excited," he said.
"I saw myself there right away... It's one of the biggest clubs in the world and the team is always fighting for every title.
"So for me it was a very good idea and the right decision to come here.
"My agent told me that there were enquiries from other clubs. That's part of the business.
"But I got the feeling right away when Bayern presented their plan to me. I found myself in Bayern's plan more than anyone else."
With Serge Gnabry's future at Bayern being under doubt, the acquisition of Mane is a great piece of business. Nagelssman's side initially saw their first two offers for the Africa Cup of Nations winner get rejected. However, their latest bid, $33.6M up front with the rest coming in add-ons, got this deal over the line.
It will be interesting to see how the German giants fare next season with their new signing and whether he can inspire them to UEFA Champions League success in 2022/23. Additionally, Liverpool fans will wonder how their club will cope in their first campaign without the Senegalese sensation.
