Why have Liverpool sanctioned Sadio Mane exit and what now for Reds attack?

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane’s impending departure to Bayern Munich means Jurgen Klopp’s famed original front three will be broken up.

Between them, Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah have scored a remarkable 374 goals for the Reds.

However, with the trio now in their 30s – and all in the final 12 months of their contracts – there was a need to think about a succession policy, something which began with the arrival of Diogo Jota in September 2020.

The Senegal international is 30 and, in the final year of his contract, made it clear he wanted to move on. With Mane and strike partners Salah and Firmino all entering the last 12 months of their deals there was a need to get them signed up or phase them out. With protracted negotiations continuing with Salah, and Firmino – the oldest of the three – likely to play out the remainder of his contract, the club could not let the situation drag on without addressing it.

In reality Mane could speak to overseas clubs in January and leave for free next summer. Liverpool have made the assessment it is better to cash in now and start the rejuvenation process rather than wait a year and find themselves in a situation where they could be looking for a couple of forwards, which selling clubs could exploit to their financial advantage.

However, Mane would not have been allowed to leave had the club not had a replacement lined up and the recent arrival of Darwin Nunez, eight years his junior, offsets his loss. The income from Mane’s sale, plus getting his considerable salary off the wage bill, makes Nunez’s potential club-record £85m signing more palatable.

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