Sadio Mane 'makes decision on next club' amid Liverpool and Man Utd links
Sadio Mane is set to become the latest big name to make the move to Saudi Arabia, with the former Liverpool star set to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.
Mane left Liverpool last summer to join Bayern Munich in a deal worth £35.1million but is now set to leave the Bundesliga giants after just one season. The 31-year-old scored just seven league goals in 25 appearances and was notably suspended in April after allegedly punching teammate Leroy Sane.
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel hinted Mane's time at the Allianz Arena could be up earlier this month after delivering a brutal assessment of his time at the club so far. "Basically, Sadio had an unsatisfactory season and fell short of expectations," Tuchel said.
"The competitive situation is extremely high for him with Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, we have a constellation which makes it very difficult for Sadio. The player knows that too, he knows my opinion and the opinion of the club."
Mane has been linked with a number of potential moves, with reports from Germany claiming that Manchester United were interested in the forward, while a potential return to Liverpool was also mooted. However, he now looks set to join Al-Nassr.
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According to L'Equipe, Mane has reached an agreement in principle with the Saudi club, who also have former Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina in their squad. It comes after Mane's representatives held talks with Al-Nassr's sporting director Goran Vucevic in Portugal over the move.
And the forward would surely relish the opportunity to play alongside Ronaldo, having opened up about their relationship earlier this year. "I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season after my move [to Bayern] was completed," he told SportBild. "He congratulated me and told me: 'A great club. This is a great step for you'.
Mane is set to join Cristiano Ronaldo at the Saudi club (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Mirror Football is now on Threads!
"That says everything about the Bundesliga and underlines what I've already said: I think you underestimate the Bundesliga here. The recent performances in the Champions League prove that." And Ronaldo has claimed he has no plans to return to European football before he retires as it has "lost a lot of quality" to the Saudi Pro League.
"I'm 100 per cent sure I won't return to any European club," he said. "I opened the way to the Saudi league and now all the players are coming here. I won't return to European football, the door is completely closed. European football has lost a lot of quality.
"The only league that for me has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League. The Spanish league does not have that great quality. The Portuguese league is a good league, but it is not a top, top league. The German league I think has also lost a lot. I'm sure I won't play in Europe again. I want to play in Saudi Arabia."
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