Mane's Man Utd confession with Bayern future in the balance

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 14 Apr 2023 09:52 BST
• 3 min read

Sadio Mane's Bayern Munich future looks uncertain after a pinch-up with Leroy Sane, and the player has previously admitted how close he came to joining Manchester United before Liverpool.

Mane left Liverpool for Bayern, after six glittering seasons at Anfield, in a €41 million deal last summer, but his form has fluctuated in Bavaria and tensions came to a head on Tuesday when the German champions were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City in the Champions League.

Mane and Sane had an on-field misunderstanding late on at the Etihad, but tensions spilled over after full-time and the former gave the latter a bloody lip in the dressing room before teammates intervened.

READ: Why Mane's punch-up with Sane is the perfect opportunity for Man Utd

Mane has since been fined a reported €500,000 and has been excluded from Bayern's squad to fade Hoffenheim on Saturday. Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg, for one, thinks the Senegalese has no future at the club.\

Mane 'was really close' to Man Utd move

A swift return to England has been mooted, and although Liverpool have missed the player as they have endured their worst season yet under Jurgen Klopp, United might be tempted to push them close again.

"I have to say, I was really close to going to Manchester United," Mane told the Telegraph last year. "I had the contract there.

READ: Mane no Lewandowski replacement, says Dortmund legend

"I had it all agreed. It was all ready, but instead, I thought, 'No, I want to go to Liverpool'. I was convinced to go with Klopp's project. I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp.

"…He asked what position I wanted, because he could see at Southampton I played on the right side and I used to play on the left. I said I prefer left, and then he said, 'But Coutinho is on the left!' So I said, never mind, I will play on the right. I could see myself in all the positions."