Sadio Mane has completed a move from Bayern Munich to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr and will now team up with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two-time African footballer of the year is the latest prominent player to join the financially lucrative Saudi league.
“I’m really happy to be part of you guys, I can’t wait to see you,” Mane said in a video addressed to Al Nassr supporters on the club’s social media accounts.
Saaaadiiiioooooooo MANÉ! 🦁🗣️#ManéIsYellow 🤩💛 pic.twitter.com/NelGDo7MKh
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) August 1, 2023
Both clubs announced the transfer of the former Liverpool star, which German media estimated to be around 30 million euros for a three-year contract with an annual salary of 40 million euros plus 10 million euros in performance-based bonuses for Mane.
Mane, 31, lamented his departure with two years remaining on his contract with Bayern Munich.
“Leaving Bayern hurts me. I would have wished for a different ending,” he told Sky Germany.
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel echoed these sentiments when he spoke in Singapore on the eve of his team’s friendly against Liverpool.
“We had a long, big hug and we both agreed that we don’t like what’s happening now, but we think it’s for the best in this situation,” said the Bayern coach.
“Sometimes things don’t work out as everybody wants it to work out. In person I have always had a very good relationship with him and this will stay.
“I can totally understand that he feels hurt and I also wouldn’t feel happy if things like this happened.
“Obviously it’s something that we didn’t bring into the full potential, which is my job and my responsibility, but in this particular situation, it was the best solution to untie the knot.”
Mane moves to the club that initiated the first coup in a series of signings by Saudi clubs with the four-year capture of Ronaldo.
Mane was a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s lethal front three alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino when Liverpool won the Champions League and Premier League in six seasons.
Mane scored 18 goals during the 2019-2020 season, during which Liverpool won its first English league championship in 30 years.
However, in the summer of 2022, Mane decided he wanted a new challenge, according to unconfirmed rumours that he had grown tired of playing second fiddle to Salah at Anfield.
Bayern made an aggressive play for Mane, promising to make him the focal point of an attack that had recently lost Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona.
After a promising start to the season with Bayern, it quickly became apparent that Mane was not a good fit in Bavaria.
