Sadio Mane looks set to become the latest big name to join the Saudi Pro League after Bayern Munich and Al-Nassr came to an agreement over the transfer for the Senegalese forward. Reports of a bid from Al-Nassr first surfaced last week and it was understood at the time that Mane would be keen on the move, however, there was initially a sticking point about the fee involved.
However, there has now been a breakthrough in the negotiations and it is believed that Mane will move to Al Nassr for a fee of €37m. It means that Bayern Munich will actually make a small profit on the 31-year-old after they bought him for €32m from Liverpool just last summer.
Mane still has two years left on his contract in Germany which is why the German champions have been able to recuperate a decent fee for the forward, despite him failing to live up to expectations last season. The 31-year-old only managed to score 12 goals and provide six assists for Bayern last season and he failed to fill the void left behind by Robert Lewandowski.
The sale of Mane is likely to be bad news for Tottenham Hotspur, too. Bayern Munich have been chasing their star man, Harry Kane, all summer and have already seen one bid rejected for the striker. With Mane now departing, their need for a striker has only increased which will likely mean another bid for Kane in the coming days.
Throwback to when Sadio Mane hit Cristiano Ronaldo’s calma celebration…
Al Nassr’s new strike force loading ⏳ pic.twitter.com/HaXQtNioE8
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) July 28, 2023
Sadio Mane Al Nassr contract
According to various reports, Mane is set to sign a three-year deal in Saudi Arabia and will receive a bumper pay rise. He is set to earn an annual salary of €40m per season and will become the club's second-highest earner after Cristiano Ronaldo who earns a massive €200m per season.
The news itself will be of a relief to Ronaldo, who has seen his club fall behind the rest of the Saudi Pro League due a transfer embargo that had been placed on Al-Nassr. Big names such as Karim Benzema, Ruben Neves and Ngolo Kante have all made the move to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks while Al Nassr have had to sit and watch.
The prospect of pairing Mane up with Ronaldo up front for Al-Nassr, however, is likely to get fans excited in Saudi Arabia. Al Nassr finished second in the Pro League last season but the addition of Mane could see them go one better this time around.
