Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp says Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mané can play until what age?

Sadio Mané was unveiled as a Bayern Munich player last month, arriving on a €32 million deal until 2025. The deal was finalized quicker than usual, so what happened behind the scenes? Well, Jürgen Klopp has you covered. Mané’s former boss from Liverpool FC has revealed the process of the Senegalese attacker’s move to Bayern. Klopp said that Mané was looking for a new challenge and that Bayern were more than ready for negotiations, which was why the transfer was done with minimal fuss.

“Sadio and his agent told me that he (Mané) was looking for a new challenge,” Klopp told Goal. “If that happens early enough, like 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.”

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Klopp also said that it was a matter of maintaining good relationships with both the player and the club with its fans and securing Mané’s legacy. “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.”

Klopp continued, “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.”

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Klopp also said that Mané “will play for ages.” How long exactly is “ages”, Jürgen? – “he can play until 38 or 39 with his body, it’s absolutely crazy. Bayern have got a really good player. It shows these kinds of transfers can work like this.” Mané could well be following the longevity of Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and AC Milan’s evergreen striker Zlatan Ibrahimović. Lest we forget, the legendary Gianluigi Buffon, formerly of Juventus.

A near decade of Sadio Mané action? Don’t mind if I do!