Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is reportedly eyeing a return to Anfield this summer, following a controversial first season at Bayern Munich.
Has Mane been a success at Bayern?
The 31-year-old is an undoubted modern-day Reds great, having played such massive role in their success between 2016 and 2022. He joined from Southampton and hit the ground running immediately, eventually going on to score 120 goals in 269 appearances, as well as winning the Premier League, Champions League and many other trophies.
Mane decided he wanted a new challenge last summer, however, opting to join Bayern in a high-profile move, but his first season there has been an up-and-down one. Having started well, scoring four times in as many matches, a serious leg injury hampered his campaign, with only 15 Bundesliga starts coming his way, not to mention that fact that he cruelly missed Senegal’s 2022 World Cup campaign.
He was also involved in an unpleasant exchange with teammate Leroy Sane after Bayern’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City this week, punching his colleague and earning a suspension and a fine from the club.
It leaves the £250,000-per-week star’s future up in the air ahead of summer, with the club potentially willing to sell him, and a shock return to Liverpool has now been mooted.
Does Mane want Liverpool return?
According to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, Mane has informed friends that he “misses Liverpool” and would like to return to Anfield at the end of the season. That being said, the Reds “have no plans” to re-sign the forward, even though a Premier League move looks to be the most likely option for him.
There is no denying Mane’s brilliance as a footballer during his peak years, with few players in the Jurgen Klopp era as influential as him – only Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are arguably ahead of him, in that respect, although that is up for debate.
At 31, his best days are now behind him, however, with that electric burst of pace not quite there anymore, and his all-round impact as a player not as great. For that reason, it makes little sense for Liverpool to bring him back, especially when Klopp will already has Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez to call upon next season.
It would be a needless financial outlay when other positions are more important to strengthen in, such as midfield, and the Reds would be unlikely to see the Mane of old on show.
