Sadio Mane joins Bayern Munich from Liverpool on a three-year contract for £35m – ‘The right time for this challenge’

Sadio Mane has joined Bayern Munich on a three-year contract for £35m from Liverpool.

“I’m very happy to finally be with FC Bayern in Munich,” Mane told the club’s website.

“We had a lot of talks and I felt the great interest of this big club from the start. So there was no doubt in my mind right from the start: This is the right time for this challenge. I want to achieve a lot with this club, also internationally. During my time in Salzburg I followed many FC Bayern games – I like this club very much!”

Mane flew into Munich on Tuesday to complete his medical at Barmherzige Bruder hospital. He was pictured leaving the hospital in Bayern’s training kit to sign autographs at lunchtime.

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said: “We are delighted that we’ve been able to recruit Sadio Mane for FC Bayern. With his outstanding performances and his great successes at the highest international level over many years, there are very few players like him in the world.

“We’re sure that Sadio Mane will delight our fans in the coming years with his spectacular style of play. He’s ambitious and eager to win more titles. This package is very strong. With players like him at FC Bayern, all the biggest goals are possible.”

Mane will be unveiled by the Bundesliga champions during a presentation at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Liverpool agreed to a fee of £27.4m with an additional £5.1m based on appearances and £2.6m based on individual and team achievements.

‘I’LL BE LIVERPOOL’S NO. 1 FAN’

Mane has been at Liverpool for six years, joining from Southampton for £31m plus £2.5m in add-ons, and has scored 120 goals in 269 appearances in all competitions for the club.

“Obviously it is strange – really, really strange – to no longer be a Liverpool player after six years spent at Anfield,” he told Liverpool.

“But of course I had a great time, an unbelievable time, and since my first day I really, really enjoyed training, playing, at Anfield especially and in front of these amazing supporters. Now it’s come to the end, so what can you say?

“After every one of my games in Munich I will come to the dressing room and I will watch Liverpool, for sure, because I am going to be Liverpool’s No.1 fan forever. I just want to say good luck to them and I have an eye on them.

“And for sure they will be even better because I know the boys: great players, great talent, great maturity and attitude, so of course, Liverpool will always stay even better, for sure.”

The 30-year-old helped Liverpool end their 30-year wait for a Premier League title and their sixth Champions League in 2019.

Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez for a potential club record of £85m last week while they have also bought promising midfielder Fabio Carvalho from Fulham and Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay.