Liverpool star Sadio Mane has reportedly been offered to Barcelona as a replacement for club captain Lionel Messi, who could be on his way out.
According to a report from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have been offered the chance to sign Liverpool forward Sadio Mane as a potential replacement for captain Lionel Messi.
In a development that stunned the footballing world, Messi, earlier this week, expressed his desire to leave Barcelona this summer, after an utterly disappointing 2019/20 campaign. The 33-year-old will be bringing an end to a 20-year association with the Catalan giants, should he get his wish of an exit.
Barcelona have told Messi that the only way he would be able to leave is if clubs match his mammoth €700 million buy-out clause. However, plans seem to be underway for his potential departure, with Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane now being offered to the Blaugrana.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed a couple of scintillating seasons, in which Liverpool have reached the top of England and Europe. Having won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2018/19 campaign, the Senegalese speedster won the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award for the 2019/20 season.
Mane ended the recently concluded campaign with a highly impressive return of 22 goals and 12 assists from 47 matches across all competitions. While Liverpool have no intentions of offloading their star forward this summer, Mane has stalled signing a new contract with the club, although his current deal expires in three years’ time.
This has opened up the possibility of Liverpool cashing in on him when he is still at his peak, with a valuation of €120 million mooted, as per the report.
The 28-year-old has also been previously linked with a move to Real Madrid in the past. However, the report claims that should an opportunity presents itself, Mane would join Barcelona. This is because the Senegalese international would be keen on reuniting with Ronald Koeman, who was appointed the new manager of Barcelona earlier this month.
It was Koeman who brought Mane to England, signing him at Southampton, where he enjoyed a couple of brilliant seasons, before moving to Liverpool in 2016. And a chance to work with the Dutchman would appeal to the Reds’ attacker, the report claims.
As for Messi, Manchester City have been touted as one of the possible destinations for the 33-year-old. It remains to be seen if the Argentine does end up securing an exit from Camp Nou this summer. If so, Mane would be a viable alternative for the La Liga giants.
