After insisting that recent statements regarding his wish to quit Liverpool were made in jest, Sadio Mane has sworn to stop talking about his future with the club.
Before Senegal's 3-1 win over Benin on Saturday, in which Mane scored a hat-trick to become his country's all-time leading scorer, the Liverpool forward claimed he would try to leave Anfield this summer to offer the Senegalese people "what they desire."
When asked for an explanation after the match, Mane emphasized that he was not attempting to express anything serious.
Mane told Canal+, "I talked yesterday while laughing with a little humour, but it spread across the world." "I believe we'll come to an end there.
"I have a lot of respect for Liverpool, and the supporters have adopted me.
Liverpool is a club that I admire greatly, and the fans have been supportive of me since the beginning. We'll see what happens in the future."
Mane's representatives recently cancelled pre-planned talks over a possible contract extension, according to 90min. Mane has made it clear to those in charge at Liverpool that he wants to leave this summer.
The Reds are willing to let Mane depart in the final year of his contract, but they want to make sure they get a fair price for one of the best forwards in the game, which is expected to be in the region of £40 million.
Bayern Munich is leading the fight for Mane's signature, as the German giants prepare for the exit of Robert Lewandowski.
The uncertainty surrounding Sadio Mane's future is a larger issue for Liverpool than many of their fans realize.
The Senegal international appears to be looking for a move away from Anfield, despite being one of the major guys who kept Liverpool's quadruple dreams alive in a difficult finale to the 2012/13 season.
Mane scored nine goals in Liverpool's final 14 games, including a crucial equalizer away at Manchester City in a league match, followed by a brace against them in the FA Cup semi-final. He also scored in both legs of Liverpool's Champions League semi-final victory over Villarreal, whilst Mohamed Salah was absent during that crucial period.
Salah only scored three goals in a 14-game stretch near the end of the season, two in a 4-0 win over Manchester United and one against Wolves on the final day of the season. Thibaut Courtois may well have added to that and delivered the Champions League for Liverpool if it hadn't been for some outstanding goalkeeping heroics, but he wasn't in top form going into that huge game — far from it.
Salah is 30 this month, and he won't be able to help the team recover on his own after Mane's departure. Manchester City have already added Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez to their front line, so the Reds will undoubtedly need to respond with a significant financial expenditure.
If there's anyone right now who appears like a perfect fit for Liverpool's requirements, it's Christopher Nkunku, who is coming off the best season of his career with RB Leipzig.
In all competitions, the France international scored 35 goals and added 14 assists for Leipzig in 2021/22, primarily in a new-look center role after previously functioning out wide and in other midfield areas.
Nkunku, who is 24 years old, appears to be nearing his peak, and he will be anxious to win major trophies after just winning one domestic cup with his current club and scarcely appearing in Ligue 1 title victory with Paris Saint-Germain earlier in his career.
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