Cristiano Ronaldo was wrong about Sadio Mane after a $43m transfer to Liverpool
Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane left Liverpool last summer, penning a message Cristiano Ronaldo sent to him earlier this year about the $43m transfer.
Liverpool have not performed as he would have liked this season. Losing a Champions League place wasn’t something anyone had even considered going into the season, but that’s the reality that turned out.
It is sometimes said that this caused Liverpool to lose the presence of Sadio Manè, who left the club last summer after seven years for a new challenge at Bayern Munich.
Trent Alexander-Arnold also hinted at this in January when he told Sky Sports: “Sadio is a world class player and he has been for many years. He’s someone who will help every team he works for and will do the things he does on a level that others can’t, so obviously what he brings to the team will be missed.”
But in reality, Liverpool have moved on. It had to be as soon as possible and had to break through the legendary front line of Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. One has been sold, the other has been given a big new contract, and the other is walking away on the loose.
“I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca this season after my transfer was completed. He congratulated me and said: ‘A great club. “It’s a big step for you,” Mane told Sport Bild earlier this year.
However, it hasn’t worked yet. In fact, Sky Germany report that Bayern Munich put Mane up for sale ahead of the summer and are keen to capitalize on his fortune a year after signing the Senegal striker.
“It says it all about the Bundesliga and underlines what I’ve said before: I think the Bundesliga is underrated here,” Mane continued. “Recent performances in the Champions League prove it.”
However, that was before Bayern Munich were knocked out of this competition by Manchester City and Mané was banned by his club for a showdown with teammate Leroy Sané. While the Bundesliga club sailed through the group stage without any problems, winning all six games and conceding just two goals despite drawing against Barcelona and Inter Milan, they have since sacked manager Julian Nagelsmann, been knocked out of the DFB Cup at home by Freiburg and are likely not to win their domestic league title for the first time in over a decade.