Jurgen Klopp is pleased with the way Liverpool’s decision to sell Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich for \u00a335million last month was handled because the Senegal international himself was open about his intentions to leave in search of new challenges.<\/p>\n
Klopp openly praised the Senegalese striker for his unimpeachable behavior during his transfer from Anfield\u00a0to Bayern Munich this summer. Mane departed to join the Bundesliga giants\u00a0on a three-year contract last month after Liverpool accepted a \u00a335million bid from the German side. Apparently the 30-year-old had alerted Liverpool of his desire to leave the Premier League\u00a0club last year because he felt he needed to challenge himself farther.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Senegal\u2019s famous football son departed Anfield after contributing 120 goals and 48 assists in 269 appearances for the Reds. To his credit, he helped Klopp\u2019s side win the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup\u00a0and League Cup following his arrival from Southampton\u00a0in 2016. Klopp was understandably sad to see Mane go as he had a key role in having helped to develop him into one of the best forwards in the world, but the Liverpool manager believes Mane conducted himself most professionally throughout the entire process of leaving.<\/p>\n “Sadio told me and his agent told me that he was looking for a new challenge,” Klopp told Viaplay Football<\/em>.<\/p>\n “And if that happens early enough, like it was in this case, and if that happens in the right way and the player and the agent are working, and the new club where they want to go is ready for negotiations, then it should be like it was now.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n “Then you say ‘thank you’ with the biggest respect ever, I couldn’t have more respect for Sadio, what a player he is and I wish him the best. And he will play for ages, he can play until 38 or 39 with his body, it’s absolutely crazy. Bayern have got a really good player but we had him for six years, so that’s fine.”\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Those familiar with the game are only too well aware that moving clubs can be a long, drawn-out process for both clubs and players and can turn bitter at the blink of an eye if all sides are not in agreement. A quick look at the stalemate between Manchester United\u00a0and Barcelona in trying to seal the Frenkie de Jong transfer deal is adequate testimony of this, which also explains why Klopp is pleased with how swiftly and amicably Mane\u2019s move was wrapped up.<\/p>\n “It shows these kind of transfers can work like this,” he added. “We will want to use it in the future as an example, it’s completely normal that sometimes in relationships there are changes needed. In this case, Sadio wanted it and we reacted and now we both try to make the best of it. I’m really fine with the situation. We will miss him from a sports point of view and as a person as well. But I am fine because that’s how life is.”<\/p>\n Mane explained his reasoning for leaving Liverpool in a recent interview with BBC Sport after he was crowned the men’s African Footballer of the Year for the second time.<\/p>\n “When Bayern Munich came to me and I saw the project, I was so, so passionate about it,” he said.<\/p>\n “They have big targets, because of course it’s one of the best clubs in the world. I honestly want to win cups, want to win the Champions League, so if you have a team fighting for everything, it’s always an easy choice.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"