It looks all but certain that Sadio Mané will be leaving Liverpool this summer, bringing an end to his six-season stay at Anfield, and it couldn’t have come to a close in more heartbreaking fashion. Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final meant that a season which at one point promised a quadruple had ended in something of a damp squib, even with the capture of the League Cup and FA Cup.
For Mané, it has been a campaign of extreme highs, but the lasting taste will be one of regret as the European Cup slipped through his team’s grasp despite their status as favourites in the football odds. He was nearly the hero in the final, but his snapshot in the first half was expertly palmed onto the post by Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Apart from that, the Senegal international found it difficult to get involved, and if that was to be his final appearance for Liverpool, it certainly wasn’t the note he wanted to go out on.
If rumours are to be believed, Mané will soon be packing his bags for the German Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich said to be in pole position to capture the 30-year-old’s signature. After six years on Merseyside, you could forgive Mané for fancying a different challenge, and the opportunity to play for a club of Bayern’s stature doesn’t come around every day.
But where would his departure leave Liverpool? At the moment, there is a lingering feeling of disappointment around Anfield after missing out on both the Premier League title and the Champions League. Yes, winning both domestic cups this season is a fine achievement, but there is a sense that an opportunity to make history has slipped away.
Throughout Liverpool’s excellent run of form in 2022, Mané has been their best player, notching 13 goals in all competitions since returning from his triumphant Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Senegal. He has scored vital goals, notably in both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Villarreal, and a brilliant brace in the FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City at Wembley.
He has also adapted to a new role in the team. The arrival of Luis Díáz in January, and the stunning form the Colombian has shown since donning the red shirt, has meant that Mané was forced into a more central role to accommodate him. But he has flourished playing down the middle, his sharp movement proving a nightmare for central defenders, and his ability to make intelligent runs in behind a large factor in his goal return.
Mané will leave a gap to be filled in terms of goal presence, but at the same time it could be argued that this is the right time for he and Liverpool to part ways. He endured a torrid season in 2020-21, scoring far fewer goals than he usually does and struggling to find his best form. Even the first half of the current campaign was not brilliant, until winning AFCON fired him into life.
At 30, Mané is not getting any younger, and you’d have to question how much longer he can operate at the highest level before his powers begin to fade. From Liverpool’s point of view, it might make most sense to cash in now and receive a decent transfer fee rather than allow Mané to leave on a free when his contract expires next summer.
Setting all the goals and match-winning moments aside, Liverpool will miss Mané most for his character. He is a buoyant presence around the club, and his rise to prominence has reflected Liverpool’s ascension from also-rans to elites. It will be a sad day if he leaves, but Liverpool fans have a whole load of Mané memories to cling onto.
