Sadio Mane is aware of Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita’s transfer plans for this summer.
That’s the suggestion of German journalist Christian Falk. Writing for CaughtOffside today, Falk gave some insight into a recent meeting he had with Mane, in which he asked about Keita’s future.
“I met Sadio Mane the other week and asked him directly about Naby Keita,” Falk began. “He told me the Bundesliga is making itself so small and it’s such a great league. He’s very sure that, in the next few years, we’re going to see plenty of Premier League stars in the German top-flight.
“I know, because he has the same management and is a friend of Keita, so they’re still in contact. I asked Mane if he knew more and he told me ‘I will tell you when there is news.’ I think he knows something.”
The reporter went on to claim that Keita’s former team – RB Leipzig – are the current leaders to sign Keita when he leaves Liverpool.
“I think Leipzig are ahead at the moment,” Falk said. “Dortmund are not so concrete at the moment but they do have him on their shortlist in the ongoing search for a potential Jude Bellingham replacement. Leipzig yes, Dortmund… so-so. The rumours from Barcelona are still here; I know that his management was in Spain recently. He’s going to be a free agent and you know what Barcelona do with free agents. So, I think these other clubs are, at the moment, ahead.”
Mane still looking out for Naby
It wouldn’t a surprise at all if Falk’s claims were true here. Mane and Keita have been good friends since even before they played at Liverpool together.
The pair crossed paths breifly at RB Salzburg, and Sadio took the younger player under his wing at Anfield. Mane’s departure for Bayern Munich last summer perhaps made Naby’s own exit a year later even more inevitable.
For now, that exit hasn’t yet been absolutely confirmed. But all the signs point to the fact that Keita will not stay at Liverpool beyond the end of his current contract.
Where he goes next may not be of too much interest to a portion of Liverpool fans. Once a player leaves the club, they could play on the moon for all some care. In someone like Keita’s case though, supporters will surely be intrigued to see how he does on someone else’s wage bill.
Throughout his time at Liverpool, he has really struggled to justify his £48m price-tag. Perhaps a change of scenery will bring out the best in him. Or perhaps he’ll simply show the same inconsistency and injury troubles. We’re not quite sure which scenario would be worse.