Liverpool have rejected Bayern Munich’s first bid for Sadio Mane, with the Bundesliga club offering only half of the price tag widely reported in the press.
Mane is expected to leave Anfield this summer having confirmed his desire to move on after six years, with Bayern his most likely destination.
However, even though the 30-year-old has just one year left on his contract, Liverpool are not willing to sanction a cut-price deal for a player who scored 23 goals and assisted five in 51 games this season.
It is claimed that the Reds will seek a fee in the region of £42.5 million for their No. 10, while looking to secure his replacement before any transfer is completed.
According to the Times‘ Paul Joyce, Bayern have seen their opening offer for Mane dismissed, with the package presented guaranteeing only £21 million.
Bayern had also offered £4 million in add-ons, but this remains way short of Liverpool’s valuation and, understandably, they have been rebuffed.
The German club are likely to return with an improved offer in the near future, though whether it will be an agreeable one remains to be seen.
It has been suggested elsewhere that Bayern will point to the deal for Thiago as an indicator, with Liverpool having agreed £20 million rising to £25 million for the Spaniard who, 29 at the time, had a year left on his terms in Munich.
But Liverpool could instead point to Bayern’s own position with Robert Lewandowski, who will enter his final 12 months on July 1 but is also seeking a move.
Joyce has corroborated earlier reports of interest in Benfica striker Darwin Nunez as a possible replacement for Mane, though he suggests the Reds would be priced out of a deal.
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