Manchester United report: Sadio Mane could leave Bayern for shock Premier League return, following confession emerging

Manchester United could capitalise on the drama with Sadio Mane at Bayern Munich and bring the Senegalese back to the Premier League.

Mane’s Bayern Munich future is hanging by a thread, following an altercation with team-mate Leroy Sane in which the Senegalese cut his team-mate’s lip with a punch. The pair have since trained for Die Roten but the former Liverpool star is unavailable for selection against Hoffenheim this weekend as a result.

The Mirror (opens in new tab) have suggested that the 31-year-old could move to Manchester United, citing comments made last year that he could have joined the Red Devils prior to his Liverpool move. Indeed, Louis van Gaal confirmed to FourFourTwo in 2020 that Mane was close to joining him at Old Trafford.

“I have to say, I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there,” Mane told Jamie Carragher in a piece for The Telegraph (opens in new tab) last year. “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.

“I was watching TV. It was an action movie – because I love movies – and he said, ‘Sadio, listen, I want to explain to you what happened at Dortmund‘. That was when he thought of signing me for Dortmund and for some reason it didn’t work out.

“He tried to explain and I said, ‘It’s okay, it happened’. I forgave him. Then he said, ‘Now I want you at Liverpool’. And I said, ‘Okay, Dortmund is behind us, let’s focus on the future.

“He said, ‘We have a big project at Liverpool and I want you to be part of it’. Then 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.”

Despite the comments resurfacing, there’s no concrete interest from Manchester United this time around. Mane only joined Bayern last summer and may well be reintegrated back into the side following his fallout with Sane. 

The forward is valued to be worth €45 million by Transfermarkt (opens in new tab). 

More Manchester United stories

The rumour mill is ticking over when it comes to new faces at Old Trafford. Two Brighton stars have been linked, with another two Bundesliga players rumoured.

Three big names have been linked with exits, however, while James Ward-Prowse is reportedly on the midfield shortlist. Goncalo Ramos is a target and Bruno Fernandes might yet leave. 

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