Liverpool have turned down a ‘laughable’ Bayern Munich bid for attacker Sadio Mane, according to a report.
The 30-year-old is out of contract with the Reds in the summer of 2023 and has supposedly decided that he wants to seek pastures new in the upcoming transfer window.
Bayern are regarded as the frontrunners for Mane’s signature and have been offered hope of a cut-price transfer as the attacker prepares to enter the final 12 months of his Anfield deal.
The German champions are understood to have submitted a £25m bid for the Senegal international earlier this week, which was swiftly rejected by Liverpool before they returned with an improved bid.
However, The Athletic reports that the Reds have also knocked back the Bavarians’ approaches this time around after being left insulted by Bayern’s latest lowball offer.
The report claims that Bayern were prepared to pay an upfront fee of £23.5m for Mane, which could have risen to a total of £30m with performance-related add-ons.
Liverpool would supposedly have only pocketed the full £30m if Bayern scooped three successive three Champions League crowns and Mane won the Ballon d’Or three years in a row.
As a result, the Anfield hierarchy are understood to have dismissed the offer as ‘laughable’, and it would take a bid of £40m for Liverpool to consider parting ways with Mane in the summer window.
While Liverpool would have only received a guaranteed extra of £2.5m with Bayern’s second offer, the Reds are still running the risk of losing Mane on a free transfer should he run down his deal.
The former Southampton man has tallied 120 goals and 48 assists in 269 games for the club but is now allegedly keen to experience a new challenge after six trophy-laden years at Anfield.
Mane has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup during his time under Jurgen Klopp, while he also became Africa Cup of Nations champion with Senegal earlier this year.
The former Metz youngster was often deployed through the middle last term to accommodate new arrival Luis Diaz, and he ended the 2021-22 season with 23 goals and five assists in 51 appearances across all competitions.
Liverpool are already thought to be scoping out potential replacements in the event of Mane’s departure, with the attacker supposedly asking teammate Thiago Alcantara – a former Bayern Munich man – if he could move into his house in Germany.
Current Bayern forward Serge Gnabry has been earmarked as a possible replacement, with the former Arsenal youngster also out of contract in 2023, but fellow target Raphinha is said to have snubbed interest from the Reds in order to join Barcelona.
Liverpool have also been dealt a killer blow in their pursuit of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is now expected to join Real Madrid in an £85m deal.
