"Just give him what he wants" - Dean Saunders urges Liverpool to break the bank to keep hold of 30-year-old star
Dean Saunders has urged Liverpool to break the bank to keep Sadio Mane at the club at any cost.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday, 29 May that the Senegalese superstar is set to leave the Merseyside club this summer.
The attacker is believed to be looking for a new challenge and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are leading the race as per Romano.
Mane was part of Jurgen Klopp's side that lost to Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League final.
Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders believes that Mane is an irreplaceable figure and is one of the top three players in the world alongside Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne.
#LFC 
Sadio Mané has decided to leave Liverpool this summer 🚨🔴 #LFC
He’s ready for a new experience after many special years with Reds - it will be confirmed to the club.
FC Bayern are strong contenders - but it’s still open and not completed as Sadio wanted to wait for the final. https://t.co/hr6R5NmuZ0
The Welshman heaped praise on Mane for his incredible all-round attacking game. He said on TalkSPORT, as quoted by Teamtalk:
“I think he’s irreplaceable. I would argue the fact that he’s probably in the top three players in the world right now. Salah, Mane, De Bruyne. I’ve watched the way he plays but as a striker he finds little pockets, he drifts from the wing, drifts inside. His legs are like concrete, strong, he’s quick as lightning and scores goals.”
Saunders has insisted that the Reds should look to keep Mane even though Luis Diaz has done well on the left flank.
The former Welsh striker has suggested that losing Mane would be a huge setback for the Merseyside club.
“Diaz is a good replacement but they’ve just got to give him what he wants. I’m sorry to say, I know it sounds bad, but just give him what he wants. Liverpool are doing really well at the moment and losing somebody like him could knock them sideways.”
Mane's price tag has been set at around €50 million (£42.5 million) amid strong interest from Bayern Munich.
Replacing Sadio Mane will be a monumental task for Liverpool
Since his move to Anfield from Southampton back in 2016 on a £34 million fee, Mane has gone from strength to strength.
The 30-year-old is regarded as one of the best players in the world. He is also an all-round attacker who looks equally comfortable on either flank as well as a number nine.
Sadio Mane has been my favourite LFC player of the Klopp era, but deciding to all but announce he wants out the day after the nightmare of that final feels like bad timing. You could’ve given it a week Sadio.
Mane has looked reborn over the last few months in the number nine role, with his output also increasing.
After going goalless in the last nine games across competitions in 2021 for the Reds, he has been irrepressible in 2022, scoring 17 goals for club and country.
Liverpool have a near-flawless record in the transfer market in recent times and might be able to find a solution if Mane departs.
However, it would be in their best interests if they don't have to replace their number ten.