Sadio Mane's illustrious spell at Liverpool has come to a close after the forward completed a move to Bayern Munich.

The Senegal international had just one year remaining on his contract at Anfield and was yet to agree terms on an extension, leading Liverpool to accept a €41million (£35.2m) bid from the Bundesliga champions for his services.

Mane's departure will leave a void within Jurgen Klopp's attacking ranks, although work had already been done to prepare for the changing of the guard with the signing of Luis Diaz from Porto in January and the capture of Darwin Nunez from Benfica in June.

While Diaz has hit the ground running on Merseyside and expectations are high for Nunez, replacing Mane is certainly no easy feat – as displayed by his record over the past six years...

Reliable return

Mane's contributions have been vital to Liverpool's success, with 120 goals across all competitions for the Anfield club. He averaged a goal every 180 minutes – one every two matches.

With an additional 37 assists, Mane chipped in with a goal involvement every 137 minutes.

In the Premier League, only Harry Kane (134), team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Leicester City's Jamie Vardy (104) scored more Premier League goals than Mane (90) over the course of his Liverpool career.

Leading the way

As part of a devastating attacking trio alongside Salah and Roberto Firmino that helped fire Liverpool to multiple honours, including ending a 30-year wait for a league title, Mane was often the provider at crucial moments.

Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Mane's Premier League goals were worth 63 points; only Tottenham's Kane ranks higher in that regard, with strikes worth 75 points.

Mane (38) was also only behind Kane (43) for opening goals in Premier League matches, while he scored 29 winning goals – behind Kane (38) and Salah (34).

Crucial role

In six years at Liverpool, Mane made 269 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, starting 248 of those – resulting in a total of 21,577 minutes for Klopp's side.

In that time, only Firmino made more Reds appearances, with 278, but Mane led the way for both starts and minutes.

Mane, Salah (20,697) and Firmino (20,142) were actually the only three Liverpool players to tally more than 20,000 minutes over this period.

Having Mane available so often was key, too, as Liverpool's win rate improved from 58.3 per cent without the former Southampton man to 65.4 per cent when he featured.

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool after striking a deal worth up to €41million (£35.2m) to sign the Senegal forward.

Mane hinted at his desire to leave Liverpool after their Champions League final loss to Real Madrid last month, at the end of a season in which he scored 23 goals.

With Liverpool signing striker Darwin Nunez in a reported £64million (€75m) deal from Benfica last week and Mane having just 12 months left on his contract, the 30-year-old has been allowed to depart after six successful years at Anfield.

He has played a key role in Liverpool winning their first Premier League title in 2020, reaching three Champions League finals - and winning one of them - and triumphs in the EFL Cup and FA Cup in the 2021-22 season.

Mane has signed a three-year contract with the Bundesliga champions. Stats Perform understands Bayern will pay Liverpool a guaranteed sum of €32million (£27.5m) plus €6m (£5.2m) based on appearances, while a further €3m (£2.5m) is dependent on the Bavarian club and Mane meeting performance-related objectives.

Mane scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League games for Liverpool after joining Jurgen Klopp's side from Southampton in 2016.

Only Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (104), Mane's Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (134) have managed more goals in the competition across that period.

As well as lifting both domestic cups during a successful final season with Liverpool, Mane played a key role as Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations title in February and qualified for the World Cup a month later.

Mane also struck up a brilliant partnership with fellow forward Salah at Liverpool, and his sale marks something akin to the end of an era for the Reds.

It remains to be seen what Mane's arrival means for the future of Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski, who has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona.

Bayern president Herbert Hainer said earlier this month he was "confident" Lewandowski will stay at the Allianz Arena, despite the Poland international declaring his time at the club is "over" and pushing for a move ahead of his contract expiring in 2023.

Sadio Mane has confirmed he rejected the interest of "other clubs" to join Bayern Munich and has stated he was "immediately excited" by their proposal.

The Senegal international has undergone a medical with the Bundesliga champions and official confirmation of his move from Liverpool is expected on Wednesday.

Mane had a year remaining on his contract with Liverpool, with whom he has won a plethora of honours, but has chosen a new challenge with Bayern – and made it clear it was not a difficult choice for him to make.

"When my agent first told me about Bayern’s interest, I was immediately excited," he told Bild.

"I saw myself there right away. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world and the team is always fighting for every title. So, for me, it was a very good idea and the right decision to come here.

"My agent told me that there were enquiries from other clubs. That's part of the business.

"But I got the feeling right away when Bayern presented their plan to me. I found myself in Bayern's plan more than anyone else."

Mane refused to get ahead of himself when quizzed about the potential of winning the Champions League with Bayern but admitted it is something he is targeting.

He said: "I don't want to say no. Every kid wants to win the Champions League, every football player in the world. I'm with a very, very competitive team now.

"But it's still a bit early to talk about the Champions League final, we haven't even played a game together yet. Nevertheless, we will give everything to get into the final."

Mane could make his competitive debut for Bayern in the DFL Supercup against RB Leipzig on July 30, while they begin their defence of the Bundesliga title the following week away to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Danilo Rinaldi has scored the first goal of the 2022-23 Champions League campaign, just 24 days after Vinicius Junior's winner in the 2021-22 final.

Vinicius delivered the decisive strike as Real Madrid lifted their 14th European Cup – double the total of any other side – with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in Paris on May 28.

The next Champions League campaign is already underway with the preliminary qualifying rounds.

June 21 marks the first day of Champions League qualifying, with knockout rounds continuing until August 24 to decide which six teams will join the 26 sides who have confirmed places in the group stage.

And Rinaldi opened the scoring for San Marino's La Fiorita against Andorran side Inter Escaldes to kick off the continental campaign.

That made Rinaldi the first player from San Marino to score in UEFA's flagship club competition since 2016.

His strike was soon cancelled out by a Genis Soldevila double as Inter Escaldes earned a 2-1 win to progress to the preliminary final, where they will face either Levadia or Vikingur Reykjavik.

Vinicius Junior has confirmed his intentions to stay with Real Madrid, declaring: "I will continue with the biggest team in the world".

The winger initially struggled to make his mark after arriving from Flamengo in 2018 for a reported €46million fee.

However, Vinicius enjoyed a breakthrough season in the 2021-22 term, scoring 22 goals in 52 games in all competitions, seven more than in 118 games for Los Blancos in his previous three campaigns (15).

The Brazil international also recorded the most goal involvements by LaLiga players born in 2000 or after across all competitions (38 – 22 goals and 16 assists).

Vinicius scored the winning goal in the Champions League final against Liverpool, but there were some suggestions he could be tempted by a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

He has quelled those Madrid fears by announcing his desire to stay in the Spanish capital, with the expectancy he will sign a new contract until June 2027.

"I will continue in the biggest team in the world," the Madrid star said on 'Bem, Amigos!' of SporTV.

"It's the most united team since I arrived. The celebrations were different this year. We all felt something special. 

"Younger people arrived with Rodrygo, [Eder] Militao, [Eduardo] Camavinga and me. Everyone likes each other and that's important.

"It's the best atmosphere in the world. Everybody wants to be there. The most experienced give us peace of mind and freedom to do what they want."

Vinicius will look to partner with Neymar for Brazil to deliver World Cup glory later this year.

The 21-year-old appears to play in a similar fashion to the PSG star, with Vinicius attempting 234 dribbles in the 2021-22 LaLiga – the most by a Madrid player in a single season since 2005-06.

Nevertheless, Vinicius still sees Neymar as the best player for Brazil as he learns to cope with the pressure of playing for the Selecao.

"He is our best player. The rivals always focus more on him and he asks us to run into space because he has a great quality to find us," he added. 

"He does everything for me, he is a great friend. The pressure is greater for him being older. He calls it responsibility. He also takes it away from us, from those who are arriving. 

"Playing for the national team is a lot of pressure, but we're getting used to it."

Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has hailed Bayern Munich's imminent signing of Sadio Mane as 'fantastic' for the 'entire Bundesliga'.

The Senegal international is poised to move to Bavaria for a fee of €40.7 million (£34.1m) and the move is expected to be tied-up on Wednesday with an official confirmation made.

Mane's move to Germany may well have a knock-on effect in the transfer market, with Robert Lewandowski keen to leave Bayern and heavily touted for a move to Barcelona.

Any departure for Lewandowski would leave Mane with a significant void to fill but Matthaus believes it's not just Bayern who will benefit from the addition of the 30-year-old forward.

"The signing of Sadio Mane is fantastic – not just for FC Bayern, but for the entire Bundesliga," he told Sky Germany.

"The fact that such a great footballer will play in our league is just class.

"Mane is an exceptional player and a difference-maker. He has provided goals and assists with Liverpool in a way and with a regularity that few other players in the world have been able to match in recent years."

Mane's six-year stint with Liverpool has been glittered with trophies, including the Premier League title in 2019-20 and the Champions League in 2018-19.

Mohamed Salah has achieved "nothing" with Egypt and the Liverpool star must raise his level when featuring for the national team, according to former Pharaohs coach Hassan Shehata.

In response, Egypt's former sports and youth minister Khaled Abdel Aziz defended the forward, calling him a wonderful ambassador and unifying figure for the country.

Salah scored 31 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions for Liverpool as they won the EFL and FA Cups last season, also finishing as runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League.

But the forward experienced a more frustrating campaign on the international front, as Egypt lost the Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties to Senegal in February and suffered the same fate in March's crucial World Cup qualification play-off – with Salah missing from the spot in the latter contest.

Those disappointing results have led Shehata, who coached Egypt from 2004 to 2011 and won consecutive Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010, to call for improvements from Salah.

"We all know that Salah is one of the stars of the world and not just one of the stars of Egypt," he told Sada al-Balad. "The awards he took and the goals he scored give him the right to be the top star.

"But technically, and I'm sorry to say this, Salah has done nothing with the national team. He should have done much better than he has. He must provide more when he plays for his country."

However, Shehata did admit Salah was playing with inferior players when joining up with the national team, and said it was up to coaches to get the best from the 30-year-old after Egypt put in a series of dull displays at this year's Cup of Nations.

"It's true [that there is a difference in quality compared to Liverpool]," Shehata said. "He should have said this to the officials here - although he is not the one who chooses the players - but he should've said that the players here are not like the players in England."

Shehata's criticisms have not gone unnoticed in Egypt, with the country's former sports minister Aziz defending Salah's role on and off the pitch.

"Mohamed Salah was one of the most important soft forces that returned life in Egypt to normal after the [2013] June 30 revolution," he wrote on Twitter, alongside an image of himself with the Liverpool star.

"He was a wonderful global ambassador for his country in a difficult political period and led the national team to the World Cup after 28 years [in 2018].

"And despite the suspension of the league [after deaths occurred amid stadium violence in 2015] and then the league of the two groups, he led the team to the final of Africa [Cup of Nations] 2017 after three consecutive times we did not qualify at all."

Egypt are seeking their third head coach of the calendar year after sacking Ehab Galal after only three games at the helm last week, just two months on from Carlos Queiroz quitting the role.

Sadio Mane's imminent move to Bayern Munich will represent a boost not only for the German champions but the Bundesliga as a whole, according to the forward's former Liverpool team-mate Loris Karius.

Mane is set to join Bayern after Julian Nagelsmann's club agreed a €41million (£35.2million) deal to sign the dynamic attacker last week.

The Senegal international, who has helped his country to the Africa Cup of Nations title and World Cup qualification as well as winning two domestic cups with Liverpool in 2022, had just one year remaining on his contract at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp will offload Mane, who scored 23 goals in all competitions in the 2021-22 season, after signing Benfica forward Darwin Nunez last week.

Karius, who joined Liverpool in the same 2016 transfer window as Mane, believes the 30-year-old will have no issues settling in at the Allianz Arena.

"It would be a crazy transfer for Bayern, because he's one of the top players at Liverpool," the goalkeeper told Sky Sports in Germany.

"If Bayern Munich manages to sign someone like him, then you can only congratulate them and the Bundesliga too. It would be another star in the league, so I would be very happy for the Bundesliga.

"Sadio Mane is very reserved, very down to earth. He also speaks a bit of German from his time in [RB] Salzburg. I've always got along very well with him, actually everyone. Should he come to Germany, he won't have any problems adapting."

Karius' own permanent Liverpool departure was only announced earlier this month, with the German having featured 49 times for the Reds after joining from Mainz.

Now aged 28 and having made his most recent competitive appearance during a loan spell at Union Berlin in February 2021, Karius is looking forward to finding a new home, but remains grateful for his time at Liverpool.

"There were ups and downs. It's part of the game, that's football, but I've developed as a person," he said.

Karius added: "I'll take my determination with me to my next job.

"It's about having a good feeling. The club can be in Germany, but also abroad. I just have to feel that the chemistry with those responsible is right, that they have a good feeling about me, and I have a good feeling with them."

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay, with the Scotland youth international heading to Anfield on a long-term deal.

Jurgen Klopp's side have brought in the teenage defender as their latest recruit of the transfer window, following the arrivals of Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez.

Ramsay, 18, arrives fresh from being named the 2021-22 Scottish Football Writers’ Association’s Young Player of the Year after a string of superb performances in the Scottish Premiership this season.

"I'm just buzzing, and it's a dream come true really to be here," the defender told the club's official website.

"It was a dream come true to play for Aberdeen, and now to be at one of the biggest, if not the biggest club in the world, it’s a massive achievement, and I’m looking forward to trying to show the fans what I've got.

"Hopefully I can come in in pre-season, show everyone at the club, the staff, players what I've got, and then we’ll see what happens from there."

Milan's Serie A triumph played out amid a tumultuous boardroom backdrop.

And the Rossoneri's notoriously thrifty project could now test Paolo Maldini's patience, with the need to bolster their squad for domestic and continental competitions not yet being met.

The Italian champions reportedly losing out on long-desired targets could potentially bring the subject of Maldini's future to the fore again.

TOP STORY – MILAN TO LOSE OUT ON SANCHES, BOTMAN

Milan look set to miss out on the signings of Lille pair Renato Sanches and Sven Botman, according to Calciomercato.

Although the Rossoneri had agreed personal terms with Sanches several months ago, Paris Saint-Germain are set to double Milan's offer to Lille of €15million.

They face a similar dynamic with defender Botman, who also agreed personal terms with Milan, as fellow long-term suitors Newcastle United attempt to swoop.

With Maldini and right-hand-man Ricky Massara's contracts to expire at the end of the month, these failings will likely create inconvenient tension.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea are interested in signing Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Meanwhile, The Sun is reporting the Blues are set to sign Ousmane Dembele, but the winger will demand a starting spot instead of a squad role.

– Manchester United are hoping Barcelona reduce their asking price for Frenkie de Jong, per The Athletic.

– Liverpool are bracing for the eventual departure of Mohamed Salah as contract renewal talks stall, the Mirror reports.

Egypt's team doctor has stated Mohamed Salah was still suffering with an injury when he played for Liverpool in the Champions League final.

Liverpool talisman Salah suffered an adductor injury in the FA Cup final win over Chelsea on May 14, and was unavailable for the Reds' next Premier League fixture.

The forward came off the bench to score in a 3-1 win over Wolves on the final day before playing the full match against Real Madrid in Paris on May 28, though he was unable to inspire Liverpool to a seventh European crown as Vinicius Junior's second-half goal gave Los Blancos a 1-0 victory.

Salah then captained Egypt in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea on June 5.

After that match, Egypt coach Ehab Galal claimed Liverpool had asked Salah to have an X-ray prior to featuring for his country, but he refused.

Egypt's team doctor Mohamed Abou El Ela said Salah, who turned 30 on Wednesday, had stated Galal had to prioritise the Guinea match for the skipper to feature in due to the injury he was carrying.

"Salah's injury occurred during the FA Cup final in the adductor muscles, then he played against Wolves and in the Champions League final, and all of this in just 14 days," he told On Time Sports.

"We send and receive players with medical reports, and Liverpool's said that he had pain and should get an X-ray, there's not a 100 per cent fit player, but there's the question of whether he can push himself and play without risk.

"The club thought that one game is enough and we chose the Guinea game because the second against Ethiopia would be hard for him to travel in a long flight. He couldn't play another game after three days."

Across all competitions, Salah played 4,013 minutes for Liverpool in the 2021-22 season – the fourth-highest total in Jurgen Klopp's squad, behind Alisson (4,890), Virgil van Dijk (4,620) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (4,233).

Of his 51 appearances, 45 were starts, with Salah scoring 31 goals and providing 15 assists as Liverpool won the FA Cup and EFL Cup and finished second in the Premier League along with their run to the Champions League final.

Sadio Mane will join Bayern Munich in a €41million (£35.2million) deal after Liverpool agreed to sell the Senegal international to the Bundesliga champions.

Mane became a prime target for Julian Nagelsmann's side, with Liverpool rejecting early offers for the forward, who had just 12 months to run on his contract at Anfield.

When Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp brought in Benfica star Darwin Nunez for a reported fee of £64million (€75m), with a further £21.4m (€25m) in potential add-ons, it left the door open for Mane to depart.

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse encouraged Mane to join Bayern as "the best fit" for his career, and Nagelsmann's club have finally struck a deal to suit all parties.

Stats Perform understands Liverpool will receive an assured sum of €32million (£27.5m), plus €6million (£5.2m) based on appearances and a further €3million (£2.5m) depending on future success that Mane and Bayern achieve.

Bayern's opening offer to Liverpool is understood to have been €25million (£21.5m) plus €5million (£4.3m) in add-ons that were all tied in to Mane and Bayern's success.

Mane scored 90 goals in 196 Premier League games for Liverpool after joining from Southampton in 2016.

Only Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (104), Mane's Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah (118) and Tottenham's Harry Kane (134) have managed more in the competition across that period.

Mane also played 51 games for Liverpool in the 2021-22 season – only 10 players across Europe's top five leagues appeared more often – finding the net 23 times and assisting two more.

That was not enough to help Klopp's side to Premier League or Champions League success, but Mane did manage to lift the EFL Cup and FA Cup trophies with the Reds in his final season at the club.

Mane won the Premier League and Champions League during his time with the Reds, as well as the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

His arrival in Bavaria leaves questions over the future of Bayern talisman Robert Lewandowski, who declared his story with Nagelsmann's side "over" as he pushes for a move to Barcelona.

Wantaway Liverpool forward Sadio Mane deserves to be in contention to win the Ballon d'Or, says Patrick Vieira. 

Mane, who has been widely linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich after Liverpool announced the signing of Benfica attacker Darwin Nunez, scored 23 goals as the Reds won the EFL Cup and FA Cup last season.

He was also decisive as Senegal claimed their first Africa Cup of Nations title in February before leading his national team to World Cup qualification the following month. 

Those exploits have led to suggestions he could compete with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to be named the world's best player later this year, and Arsenal legend and Crystal Palace manager Vieira thinks his wide-ranging abilities put him in contention.

"Sadio Mane is part of the new generation of attackers who knows how to do everything," Vieira told the Diambars Institute, a football academy in Senegal.

"He scores goals, he knows how to defend, he knows how to run in depth. He is a hard worker in the field. 

"He is one of the modern attackers. For me, he should be considered for the Ballon d'Or.

"He is one of those great players who can win it. I saw him every weekend in the Premier League and for me, he is one of the great European strikers."

Having won six trophies in a six-year spell at Anfield, Mane is expected to move to Bayern in the current transfer window, perhaps as a replacement for Barcelona-linked striker Robert Lewandowski.

Asked about such rumours, Vieira said Mane will make the best decision for his career. 

"I think he has his head on his shoulders to make the best decision," the Frenchman added.

"Should he stay or go? It's up to him to make that decision. But he is a player that I admire in relation to his talent as a footballer, but also in relation to his talent as a man."

Arsenal are set to make their first big splash of this transfer period with the signing of 22-year-old Porto midfielder Fabio Vieira.

The Gunners have been linked with various big names – including Raheem Sterling, Youri Tielemans and Christopher Nkunku – but have struggled to get deals over the line for players that could be considered key signings.

Vieira, who has made 20 appearances for Portugal Under-21s, was a move that came out of left-field, but those that call the Emirates Stadium home will hope it proves to be a masterstroke.

TOP STORY – VIEIRA'S MOVE TO ARSENAL REACHES FINAL STAGES

According to ESPN, a deal in the range of €40million is said to be in place, with Vieira said to be heading to London for his medical on Friday before finalising a five-year deal.

The talented attacking midfielder – who played in both the number-10 role and as a second striker – finished the Primeira Liga season with six goals and 14 assists from 27 appearances. Nobody in Portugal's top division had more assists.

Vieira reportedly had a €50m release clause with Porto, but the club were happy to accept the reduced figure.

It could be the start of a big week for Arsenal, with ESPN also mentioning they are leading the race for Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus in a deal that could be worth up to £50 million.

ROUND-UP

– According to The Sun, Liverpool remain interested in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, but they will remain patient and not pursue him in this transfer period.

– Inter have turned down a €50m bid from Paris Saint-Germain for Milan Skriniar, holding firm at an asking price of €80m, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Newcastle United target Sven Botman is reportedly favouring Milan if he is to leave Lille, per Football Insider.

– The Telegraph is reporting Southampton have agreed to a deal worth up to £15m for 20-year-old City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, while The Athletic claims they are also interested in 18-year-old City midfielder Romeo Lavia.

– Fulham and Wolves will reportedly compete for the signature of Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha, according to 90min.

Luis Suarez has backed fellow Uruguayan Darwin Nunez to hit the ground running at Liverpool.

The Reds this week confirmed the signing of the 22-year-old on a "long-term contract" from Benfica. Nunez is costing Liverpool a reported £64million (€75m), with a further £21.4m in potential add-ons.

The striker joins after netting 48 goals in 85 appearances for Benfica, finishing as last season's Primeira Liga top scorer with 26 strikes.

He also scored in both of Benfica's Champions League matches against Liverpool and has begun to make his mark at international level.

Suarez spent three and a half years at Liverpool before moving on in 2014 to Barcelona, where the goals continued to flow as he teamed up with Lionel Messi.

He later moved on to Atletico Madrid, whom he left at the end of the 2021-22 season, with the 35-year-old now seeking his next challenge.

Responding to a message on Instagram from Nunez which showed the young forward in Liverpool, Suarez wrote: "I was the first one too! But I hope you are the first in GOALS."

Suarez, 35, scored 82 goals for Liverpool, which sets a high target for Nunez.

Reds newcomer Nunez replied to Suarez by writing: "It is an honour for me to follow in your footsteps! I hope I can perform like you did in Liverpool!"