Sadio Mane will play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as he heads to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr.
On the 2nd (hereinafter Korean time),메이저놀이터 Al-Nasr announced the signing of Mane through the club’s official SNS, saying, “We have officially signed a contract with Nane, the captain of the African champions. We wish him luck.” Mane wears the number 10 jersey at Al Nasr.
According to reporter Florian Plettenberg of Germany’s ‘Sky Sports’, Mane signed a three-year contract with Al Nasr, and the transfer fee is 30 million euros (approximately 42.4 billion won). Mane’s annual salary is known to be around 40 million euros (approximately 56.6 billion won).
Saudi star recruiting never stops. It started with Ronaldo. With Ronaldo heading to Al Nasr, Europe’s best players are moving to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is recruiting world-class players such as Ballon d’Or winners Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante with astronomical transfer fees and annual salaries. In addition, not only the players but also the manager were on the recruitment list. The recent appointment of director Steven Gerrard to Al Etifaq showed the power of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s interest also led to Mana. It was Al-Ahli who first showed interest in Mane. Al-Ahli, who recruited Roberto Firmino, drew a picture of Mane and Firmino reuniting in ‘Wife Line’ as he joined Mane. However, no progress was made. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s Al Nasr jumped into Mane’s signing.
Mane is a winger who has the destructive power to break through the opponent’s defense based on his speed and elasticity. Mane was rated as a good offensive resource for his excellent positioning and shooting with both feet. He is most threatening in counter-attacking situations, especially thanks to his quick feet. His activity level is also high, which is a great strength for his team.
Mane had a glorious time at Liverpool. Manager Jurgen Klopp recruited Mane, who had been verified in the EPL for the 2016-17 season. Mane formed the ‘Wife Line’ with Firmino and Mohamed Salah. With the ‘wife line’ at the forefront, Liverpool won the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and UEFA Champions League (UCL). And in the 2019-20 season, he reached the top of the English Premier League (EPL), a long-cherished dream. This win was Liverpool’s first Premier League title. Mane was at the heart of Liverpool’s glory. He scored 22 goals in the 2018-19 season and became the EPL’s top scorer.
Mane left Liverpool at the end of the 2022-23 season and moved to Munich. Munich’s squad has become stronger with the addition of Mane. However, contrary to expectations, Munich suffered difficulties. In recent years, they have shown an overwhelming appearance within the Bundesliga, but last season was pushed back by Dortmund.
Munich sacked Julian Nagelsmann and appointed Thomas Tuchel as head coach when their league performance fell behind Dortmund. Coach Tuchel declared that treble was the goal, but both UCL and DFB Pokal were eliminated in the quarterfinals. They regained first place, but gave up their place again to Dortmund. Fortunately, Dortmund was defeated by Mainz in the final game, avoiding an unrelated match.
It was a tough season for Mane as well with Munich. The destructive power shown in Liverpool has disappeared, and even gossip has flowed out. Mane punched Leroy Sane in the face in a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the first leg of the UCL quarter-finals. Mane was subsequently suspended and fined by the club. In the end, Mane only scored 12 goals in 38 matches, including cup competitions.
Coach Tuchel also did not evaluate Mane favorably. According to the British ‘BBC’, director Tuchel evaluated that Mane did not live up to expectations. Mane had bad memories in Munich and eventually moved to Al Nasr. Mane is now starting a new life in Saudi Arabia.