Al-Nassr sign Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich on four-year deal
Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr have completed the signing of Senegalese forward Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich.
The 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year contract until 2027 and is set to become the highest-paid African footballer, earning in excess of £650,000 per week tax-free.
Al-Nassr are understood to have paid around £24m for the services of Mane, who will join forces with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East.
Mane becomes Al-Nassr’s fourth signing of the summer transfer window after Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic and Seko Fofana, and the forward will wear the No.10 shirt for his new club.
The 97-cap Senegal international leaves Bayern after just once season with the German giants following his £35m transfer from Liverpool last summer.
Mane celebrated winning the Bundesliga title and DFL-Supercup with Bayern last season, but he failed to make the desired impact in his only campaign at the Allianz Arena, scoring just seven goals in 25 league appearances.
The forward fell out of favour under head coach Thomas Tuchel after he was suspended and fined for punching teammate Leroy Sane following a Champions League quarter-final clash with Manchester City in April.
Mane has acknowledged that he has been left “hurt” by his exit from Bayern, telling Sky Sports in Germany: “Leaving FC Bayern hurts me. I would have wished for a different ending. I know that I could have helped the team this season.
“I wanted to prove it to everyone this season. Nevertheless, I only wish the club and the fans the best for the future.”
Tuchel responded to those comments on Tuesday, telling BBC Sport: “We had a long, big hug and we both agreed we don’t like what’s happening now, but we think it’s for the best in this situation.
“Sometimes things don’t work out as everybody wants. I have always had a very good relationship with him and this will stay. I can totally understand 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 responsibility, but in this particular situation it was the best solution to untie the knot.”
Meanwhile, a statement from Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen on the club’s official website read: “We want to thank Sadio Mane for the past season. It certainly wasn’t an easy year for him, getting injured just before the World Cup and being unable to take part in it with Senegal, who he’d previously led to a first triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualification.
“Because of his long lay-off, he also couldn’t have the impact at FC Bayern that we all and he himself had hoped for.
“That’s why we came to the joint decision that he’ll begin a new chapter in his career and make a new start at a different club. We wish him all the best and lots of success for the challenges ahead at Al-Nassr.”
Prior to joining Bayern, Mane had plenty of success during a six-year spell with Liverpool, scoring 120 goals in 269 games as well as winning six trophies including the Premier League and Champions League.
Mane could be in a position to make his Al-Nassr debut when the Saudi club take on Egyptian side Zamalek in the Arab Club Champions Cup on Thursday.
