Chelsea want Liverpool great Sadio Mane at Stamford Bridge next season, rescuing the Senegalese attacker from his Bayern Munich stint.
That's according to one incredible report following Mane's spat with Bayern colleague Leroy Sane in the wake of the Bavarians' first-leg last-16 defeat against Manchester City this month. Mane has failed to adapt to the Bundesliga, according to some and now could be offloading just 12 months after leaving the Premier League.
Mane has been linked with a move back to Anfield, while others have speculated that Manchester United could launch a bid.
Football Insider claims that Chelsea would welcome the opportunity to take Mane away from the Allianz Arena, as they plan another big summer.
The Blues already have Christopher Nkunku lined up, according to the same outlet, with plenty of other big attackers competing for starting places. This year alone has seen Chelsea sign Noni Madueke, Raheem Sterling, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Joao Felix and David Fofana, with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount existing options in the frontline.
Mane is versatile enough to play across the frontline. He began his Liverpool career on the right before Mohamed Salah joined, switching to the left flank up until his final season on Merseyside, where he featured as a false nine.
With Chelsea lacking goals this season, the forward may be used as a No.9 with Nkunku behind. Still, the rumours of such a deal seem to be outlandish at best.
At 31, Mane doesn't fit the age profile that Chelsea have been signing in the last year under new chairman Todd Boehly. With a stacked attack of forwards, it's unlikely that even they would pursue yet another before letting a big star go first, while whether the player himself would be happy going to a club other than Liverpool.
Mane is valued to be worth €45m by Transfermarkt.
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