Senegal striker Sadio Mane has joined Liverpool from English Premier League rivals Southampton on a “long-term contract” for an undisclosed fee, the Anfield club announced yesterday.
British media reports suggested Mane had signed a five-year contract in a deal worth about ￡30 million (US$40 million).
That would make Mane, who scored 25 goals in 75 appearances for the Saints, Liverpool’s third-most expensive signing behind fellow strikers Andy Carroll (￡35 million) and Christian Benteke (￡32.5 million).
“Today is a big day and I am very happy to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe,” Mane told Liverpool’s Web site. “It is a club that has won a lot of trophies and has a big history.”
“Now I am looking forward to meeting all the staff and my teammates, and starting the season,” he added.
Southampton finished sixth in the Premier League last season, two places above Liverpool, but in terms of history, supporter base and finance, five-times European champions Liverpool remain a significantly “bigger” club than the Saints.
Mane is the fourth player signed by Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp in pre-season, with the striker following centre-back Joel Matip, midfielder Marko Grujic and goalkeeper Loris Karius to Merseyside.
There have been reports that Liverpool are prepared to help finance the Mane deal by selling Belgium forward Benteke, who failed to sparkle last term following his transfer from Aston Villa.
Mane — who is to bring Southampton a huge profit on the ￡10 million they paid Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg in 2014 — is the fifth Saints player to leave the south coast club for north-west side Liverpool in the past two seasons.
He is to find himself sharing a changing room at Anfield with fellow former Southampton players Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne.
Rickie Lambert, another former Southampton player, was also at Liverpool, but has since moved on. Mane, who scored 11 goals last term, is the second star name to leave coachless Southampton in the past week after Kenya midfielder Victor Wanyama joined Tottenham Hotspur for ￡11 million.
Southampton, who did dip into the transfer market on Saturday by buying winger Nathan Redmond for ￡10 million from relegated Norwich City, have been without a coach since Ronald Koeman left earlier this month to take over at Liverpool’s city rivals Everton.
Liverpool players who have not been involved in Euro 2016 are due to return for pre-season training on Saturday, with their first friendly the following Friday at nearby Tranmere Rovers.
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