"It wasn't his fault alone" - Bayern Munich superstar defends Sadio Mane from critics as he closes in on move to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr
Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich has jumped to the defense of former teammate Sadio Mane. This comes after the Senegalese star edges closer to leaving the Bundesliga giants after just one season. He is set to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
Speaking to German outlet Bild, the 28-year-old said Mane was not to blame for Bayern's poor form at times last season.
The Bavarian side had a poor season by their lofty standards and needed results to go their way on the last gameweek of the season to lift the Bundesliga title.
In an interview with Bild, Kimmich said:
"He played a very good first half of the season last season and had good stats."
"It wasn't his fault alone that things weren't going well for us. The big picture was not good for us.
"You are a new player abroad - with a new language, new culture and new people. When you join as a top star and have to listen to a lot of criticism - some rightly, some -- I can imagine it's not easy."
Mane completed a switch to Bayern for £35 million after great success with Liverpool, winning the Champions League and the Premier League. He had a brilliant start for the German side, scoring in five of his first six games.
However, his form dipped following the good start and he ended up bagging just 12 goals and six assists all season.
Notably, he was also suspended for one game by head coach Thomas Tuchel after an altercation during training with Leroy Sane.
He is now one among many of Europe's elite to move to the Middle Eastern country, with the two sides agreeing on a fee of around £34 million.
Liverpool set to miss out on bonuses after Mane's move to Al-Nassr
Sadio Mane is set to join Cristiano Ronaldo after the Senegalese forward agreed terms on a move to Al-Nassr.
The winger is set to leave Bayern Munich after just one season, with the clubs reaching an agreement on a fee of around £34 million.
Mane joined the Bundesliga giants after a successful stint at Liverpool. The Bavarian giants paid £27.5 million for the player, with £7.5 million in add-ons as performance-related bonuses. However, a poor season in Germany means the Reds will miss out on the add-ons.
He enjoyed a good start to his career with Bayern, netting three in his first three starts in the Bundesliga. However, an injury in November ruled him out for three months, forcing him to miss the World Cup.