Bayern Munich confirms initial talks around reported Sadio Mané move to Saudi Arabia

By: The Associated Press Posted: 4:27 AM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 26, 2023 Last Modified: 7:49 AM CDT Wednesday, Jul. 26, 2023

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TOKYO (AP) — Bayern Munich's president confirmed Wednesday that the club is aware of “initial talks” around a reported move for forward Sadio Mané from the German champion to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, where he could team up with Cristiano Ronaldo.

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This article was published 26/07/2023 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TOKYO (AP) — Bayern Munich’s president confirmed Wednesday that the club is aware of “initial talks” around a reported move for forward Sadio Mané from the German champion to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, where he could team up with Cristiano Ronaldo.

“FC Bayern is informed about this,” club president Herbert Hainer said in Japan during a pre-season tour, in quotes reported by German news agency dpa. “But these are initial talks, you have to wait and see.”

His comments followed a report in German tabloid newspaper Bild that an adviser to Mané would meet representatives of Al-Nassr to discuss a possible deal. A Premier League and Champions League winner with Liverpool, Mané would be the latest in a series of big-name players in Saudi clubs’ signing spree.

A supporter wearing a match banner to protect from the sun waits in queue to enter a venue before a friendly soccer match between Manchester City and Bayern at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Hot weather continues in the metro area as temperatures rise higher than 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Japan's meteorological bureau. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Mané has two years left on his contract with Bayern after a disappointing and injury-hit first season since joining from Liverpool last year.

The Senegal forward scored 12 times in 38 games for Bayern, but only one of those goals came after a leg injury in November which ruled him out of the World Cup. Mané was also suspended for one game by Bayern for “misconduct” in April after he reportedly struck teammate Leroy Sané in the locker room after a Champions League loss to Manchester City.

On Tuesday, Hainer described Mané’s first season at Bayern as “certainly not satisfactory, neither for him, nor for us,” dpa reported.

Mané came off the bench in Bayern’s 2-1 loss to Man City in a friendly in Japan on Wednesday, replacing Kingsley Coman as Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel changed the entire starting 11 at the break.