Liverpool have reportedly rejected an opening £21million bid from Bayern Munich to sign Sadio Mane.
The Senegalese forward has been heavily linked with a departure from Anfield this summer and recently gave the clearest indication yet that his days at the club are numbered.
With just a year remaining on his current contract, Bundesliga champions Bayern have been tipped as Mane’s next destination.
According to The Times, Liverpool have rejected an opening £21million bid from the German side for the forward.
The offer is said to have been received last week and it included a £4m add-on providing Bayern win the Champions League in the future.
Liverpool didn’t entertain the offer as they believe Mane is worth more, and they haven’t set a price on the player.
The report also claims Jurgen Klopp’s side hold an interest in Benfica striker Darwin Nunez but they would not pursue him at any cost.
In the build-up to Senegal’s clash with Benin in the Afrcia Cup of Nations qualifier, Mane said: ’60 to 70 per cent of Senegalese want me to leave Liverpool? I’ll do what they want.’
The 30-year-old went on to score a hat-trick, – becoming the country’s all-time leading goalscorer – and clarified his previous statemnt, claiming he was ‘joking’.
‘I spoke yesterday while joking with a bit of humour and it was everywhere. I think we’ll stop there.
‘Liverpool is a club I respect a lot. The fans adopted me since day one. Regarding the future, we’ll see,’ Mane told Canal+.
Bayern want to play Mane alongside Robert Lewandowski – provided he doesn’t leave for Barcelona having himself declared his days at his current club are numbered.
Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping an eye on his situation, but Mane appreciates the border area of southern Germany and the set-up at Bayern.
Either club will have to pay around £42.5m for Mane’s services next season as Liverpool have attached a slightly higher price tag than the £35m initially touted.
Mane has been one of the most influential figures in Liverpool’s success in recent years, scoring 120 goals and providing 48 assists in 269 appearances since joining from Southampton for £34million in 2016.