sport news How Bayern Munich's need for speed and Mane signing can fuel Champions League ... trends now
Sadio Mane's six-year spell at Liverpool is over after officially joining Bayern Munich. A selfless and classy performer, he would likely not have said no to running the whole way there himself, and Liverpool have lost one of their greatest players.
The forward was officially unveiled on Wednesday at the Allianz Arena following his £35.1million transfer. Those at Anfield were reluctant to let him go, but they were fighting a losing battle as soon as his intention to leave became clear.
The back end of last season was marred by Mane's musings over his future. Jurgen Klopp's preparations for the Champions League final were occasionally halted by questions, and his team-mates would have known he was casting glances elsewhere.
Bayern Munich have signed Sadio Mane from Liverpool and he has penned a three-year deal
Jurgen Klopp and others at Anfield did not want the forward to leave, but a sale went through
He will be sorely missed. After all, he scored 120 goals during his six-year stint and helped his side win six trophies, including the Champions League and the Premier League. His new employers are getting an experienced head and quality personified.
Mane is their third signing of the transfer window, and is their most important. While Julian Nagelsmann has plenty to solve during the off-season, the addition of the tricky winger, who can also play in the No 9 role, will help ease some of his troubles.
Jordan Henderson heaped praise on him towards the end of the last campaign, and pointed to Mane's willingness to burst a lung for the greater good.
'His performances are always incredible,' he said.
Mane has been widely praised by his team-mates and coaches and is a superb buy by Bayern
He also has experience winning the trophy his new club covets most, the Champions League
'The amount of work he does for the team off the ball as well, defending there at the end, winning the ball back high up.'
His energy and relentless pressing will fit in seamlessly with Nagelsmann's style of play. Last year, only parts of his system were evident, and the young coach will be determined to get his team fighting fit and pushing for the biggest trophies again.
The manager's attempts to do just that will be made easier by the star-studded list of wing wizards at his disposal. The likes of Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman occupy spots out wide, while Alphonso Davies also flies forward on the left.
Football, of course, is not all about who has the fastest team. Rather, games are decided by cohesion and individuals making the right decisions at the right times. Nagelsmann is a fast learner, and will know that Mane will play where he is needed.
Julian Nagelsmann came under scrutiny last season and will be hoping to kick on next term
We are talking about a player who has won the Premier League Golden Boot and also holds a special piece of top-flight as his own, namely the quickest hat-trick, which he scored for Southampton against Aston Villa in just two minutes 56 seconds in 2015.
Bayern have paid more than they wanted, but every penny represents sheer value - and if he helps them push for the Champions League, there will be zero complaints.
Nagelsmann may have been soaked in beer within minutes of his side sealing their Bundesliga title this season, their 10th in a row, but the 34-year-old openly admitted just weeks before the celebrations that the campaign had not been a success.
His team were knocked out by Villarreal in the quarter-final stage of the competition their supporters wanted to win the most, crashing out 2-1 on aggregate. They were left stunned by the underdogs, and the result was a real body blow to their coach.
Serge Gnabry (L) and Leroy Sane (R) are two of an enviable group of wing wizards at the club
'We are out of the German Cup, out of the Champions League,' he said.
'I don't think this is good enough for Bayern. We had the semi-finals as our minimum goal and we failed to achieve it. It counts as one of my top three defeats.'
Bayern were accused of lacking in big game nous, while they were certainly sloppy at the
