“He’ll play for Bayern in third gear” – Former Liverpool striker says Mane will ‘ruin the best two years of his life as a footballer’ after imminent transfer
Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders has claimed that Sadio Mane is about to ruin the best couple of years of his career by moving to Bayern Munich.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Senegalese international is set to join the Bavarian club with Liverpool having already agreed a deal.
The 30-year-old is expected to replace Robert Lewandowski, who wants to leave Allianz Arena this summer (via Sports Illustrated).
However, Saunders has claimed that the Liverpool attacker will find it too easy in Germany.
He has insisted that even though Bayern Munich are a great club, the Bundesliga is not at all a challenge for the former Southampton forward. He told talkSPORT:
“Nothing against the club, it’s a great club, but the league is nowhere near a challenge for Mane. He’ll get goals. They win 5-0 every week, only one team can win the league."
He added:
“It’s not a challenge. He will get in his armchair, light a cigar up, he’ll play for Bayern in third gear and he’ll coast for two years and ruin the best two years of his life as a footballer. At the end of his career, if he said to you ‘come and look at my trophy cabinet’, the German league winners medal will be right at the back."
Saunders has also claimed that he fails to understand why Mane wants to leave after arguably the best six months of his Reds career. He said:
"I can’t believe he’s leaving Liverpool, I don’t know it’s got to this point. He’s 30, I think of all his time at the club, the last six months he’s played the best football, he’s been unstoppable at times. He went up the middle when Diaz signed and he started getting better and better at finding the pockets and linking the play up."
Saunders added:
“I can’t get my head round why you’d want to leave Liverpool right now, when you’re playing the best football of your life in the best combination front-three he’ll ever play in, to go and play for Bayern Munich.”
Mane won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup last season with the Reds and also reached the Champions League final. He has won six trophies with the club, including one Premier League title and one Champions League title.
Bayern Munich could be an easy challenge for Liverpool's Sadio Mane
Dean Saunders might be absolutely right to state that Mane will find life in the Bundesliga too easy.
Bayern have won the Bundesliga for 10 straight seasons now. Chances are high that they will continue to win the league title every season in the future as well.
However, there can be no denying the fact that Bayern Munich are one of the biggest clubs in Europe. They are one of the favorites in the Champions League every season.
Mane is expected to make a massive impact at the Allianz Arena and will have big shoes to fill if Lewandowski leaves the club.