Sadio Mane’s move from Liverpool to Bayern Munich has not been beneficial for any of the parties involved. The Reds lost one of their key attacking players, while Bayern failed to acquire a suitable replacement for Robert Lewandowski. Mane has not been able to replicate the level of performance he showed at Anfield, having scored 11 goals in 32 appearances, eight of which were from the bench. To make matters worse, the 31-year-old got into a physical altercation with Leroy Sane in the dressing room following Bayern’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals. This resulted in Mane being suspended from the Bundesliga game against Hoffenheim and fined by the club.
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel has expressed his desire to help Mane find his flow again, but this has been difficult due to the forward’s lack of confidence. Former boss Julian Nagelsmann initially used Mane up front in an attempt to fill Lewandowski’s shoes, but it soon became clear that he was not suited to this role. Mane then moved back to the wing, but he could not find his place in Nagelsmann’s 3-4-2-1 system. An inflamed head of the fibula also caused Mane to miss Senegal’s World Cup campaign, further hindering his progress.
Tuchel has suggested that trust and patience are needed for Mane to get back to his best, but this is not something that comes naturally to Bayern, who sacked Nagelsmann despite a winning ratio of 73%. The club is in uproar and Mane is struggling to live up to expectations, making it a toxic marriage for all involved.