MY ACCOUNT
Sadio Mane’s selfless attitude increased Julian Nagelsmann’s desire for Bayern Munich to sign him from Liverpool.
Bayern completed a €41 million (£35.2m) move for Mane on Wednesday, with the Senegal international signing a three-year contract at the Allianz Arena.
The 30-year-old told the media at his presentation he would happily play “in three or four positions” for Bayern, but that decision lied with Nagelsmann.
It was this team-spirited perspective that motivated Bayern to push the deal through.
“Right from the first conversation he made a very selfless impression, which is extraordinary for a player with such a big name,” Nagelsmann told the club’s official website.
“He said, quite modestly, he can imagine himself in any position.
“It’s rare to experience that in a first conversation, that a player puts themselves completely at the service of the club and the coach. That made our urge to get the signing over the line even greater.
“We have to wait and see what happens in the transfer market, but Sadio is a player who can easily play in four or five positions – and can also switch during the match.”
Nagelsmann was delighted to see a big-name arrival at the club with Robert Lewandowski hoping the Bundesliga champions will sell him to Barcelona rather than force him to see out the final year of his contract.
The Bayern boss said: “We’re Bayern Munich, we always have the chance to bid for big stars.
“Sometimes we hit financial limits, especially with guys who are playing in England. That was different with Sadio because he has great desire for our project, our club and his team-mates. I was delighted.”
