The summer transfer season is quickly picking up steam, and one of the biggest Premier League stories out there at the moment is Sadio Mane possibly set to leave Liverpool.
Bayern Munich have reportedly made a couple of bids already for the Senegalese star, which the Reds have rebuffed.
After six mostly successful years, this seems like the right time for Sadio Mane and Liverpool to move on from one another. Based on their respective situations, it would mutually benefit both parties if they split up sooner rather than later.
Read on below as SBOTOP explains why Sadio Mane and Liverpool are ready to go their separate ways this summer.
Mane now in his 30s
Make no mistake, Sadio Mane is still a great player. He had another terrific season for Liverpool with 23 goals in all competitions, including 16 in the Premier League. And after leading Senegal to their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title, Mane could very well finish in the top three in Ballon d’Or voting this year.
Mane showed this season that he continues to evolve as a player. Jurgen Klopp played him more centrally, especially after the arrival of Luis Diaz, and the Senegalese star shone in his new role.
Mane deserves a lot of credit for improving his skill level, which should serve him well as he grows older and gradually declines. He has also been remarkably durable, having missed a total of just four games over the last four seasons.
But as good as Mane has been, though, the fact is that he is now 30 years old, which is around the time that players begin to fall off physically. He is now at the point where he is more likely to drop off in performance or suffer niggling injuries.
This decline has already begun with Mane’s Liverpool team-mate Roberto Firmino, who is also 30. The Brazilian was limited to just 20 league appearances – by far his lowest total as a Liverpool player – amid injuries, unimpressive form, and the presence of younger, more capable players. It seems clear that Firmino’s days as a first-choice player for the Reds is over.
So while Mane might still have a couple more years of elite football left in him, it would be in Liverpool’s best interest to move on from him while his value is still sufficiently high and the age-related declines have not yet set in.
Liverpool are just not on the level of Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain in terms of finances, so it’s simply the reality that the Reds need to sell some players in order to continue replenishing their squad.
Reds ready to reload
Liverpool are a smart club and are well-aware of players’ decline as they enter their 30s. That’s why they have been reloading their squad with younger forwards over the last few transfer windows.
After picking up Diogo Jota in the summer of 2021, they got Luis Diaz this winter. Both have been tremendous signings as they’ve fit seamlessly into Klopp’s system. Jota has already scored 34 goals in his first two seasons with the club, while Diaz quickly produced Premier League 2022 highlights upon his arrival in January to help keep their quadruple bid alive. The two 25-year-olds figure to play crucial roles for the Reds in the coming years.
And Liverpool might not be done, as they reportedly plan to launch a bid for Benfica’s rising star Darwin Nunez this summer. Mane’s sale could very well be used to finance a deal for Darwin, who gave Liverpool problems in the Champions League and will no doubt cost a lot of money.
Champions Manchester City are likely to get even stronger next season with the arrival of Erling Haaland, so if Liverpool hope to improve their Premier League 2022 odds of reclaiming the title from City, they simply cannot afford to stand pat and continue to grow older. They need to move forward with younger guns, and that will require the old guard (Mane) to move on.
Mane could use new challenge
While it makes a lot of sense for Liverpool to sell Sadio Mane this summer, it could also benefit Mane to make a move after six seasons at Anfield.
He has already won virtually everything there is to win in England and has also conquered Europe and Africa, so similar to the player he might be replacing at Bayern (see Lewandowski, Robert), his career could do with a brand new challenge in a brand new country.
At 30 years of age, Mane would still be close to the peak of his powers. And while he never made much of a fuss about it during his time at Liverpool, he might enjoy stepping out of Salah’s shadow at Liverpool and be the main star at a new club just like he is with Senegal.
Based on his recent comments regarding his future, it seems Mane is quite open to leaving Liverpool and making a fresh start elsewhere. All that’s left is for Liverpool to agree to a deal with Bayern or any club willing to meet their asking price and after six successful years together, Mane and Liverpool can move on.
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