Senegal forward Sadio Mane has bid farewell to Bayern Munich after just one season and joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. Both clubs officially confirmed the deal on Tuesday. With Al-Nassr announced that Mane has signed a four-year contract.
While the financial details of the transfer were not disclosed. Various media reports suggest that Al-Nassr paid around 40 million euros ($43.85 million) for the 31-year-old Sadio Mane. He still had two more years left on his contract with Bayern.
Mane’s arrival at Bayern last year was met with high expectations, given his impressive track record at Liverpool. There he scored 120 goals in 269 appearances and helped the club secure numerous trophies. Including the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Club World Cup.
However, his time at Bayern was not as successful as expected. The talented forward faced challenges both on and off the field. Including a dispute with teammate Leroy Sane that led to an incident where he struck the German winger. This misconduct resulted in fines and suspensions.
Twice Crowned African Footballer of the Year
During his tenure at Liverpool, Mane was twice crowned the African Footballer of the Year and maintained an outstanding record of scoring more than 20 goals per season. However, his goal-scoring rate decreased during his single season at Bayern, where he managed to score only 12 goals.
Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen thanked Mane for his contribution to the club during the past season. Acknowledging the difficulties the forward encountered due to injuries and other setbacks. Dreesen revealed that the decision to part ways with Mane was mutual and made to allow the player to embark on a new chapter in his career.
The Senegalese star now joins Al-Nassr, a club that has been making significant moves in the transfer market. After securing the services of Cristiano Ronaldo in the previous season, Al-Nassr has further strengthened its squad with notable signings such as midfielders Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan and Seko Fofana from Lens, as well as left-back Alex Telles from Manchester United.
Notably, Al-Nassr recently faced difficulties with player registration due to outstanding debts, including a sum of 460,000 euros ($504,712.00) related to the transfer of Nigerian Ahmed Musa from Leicester City. Nevertheless, the club’s ambitious recruitment drive demonstrates their determination to compete at the highest level in both domestic and international competitions.