Sadio Mane was willing to stay with Liverpool – if they had made him the club’s highest paid.
The Senegal captain is on his way to Bayern Munich for a fee rising to €50m. Final terms are expected to be thrashed out today with a Bayern delegation now on Merseysde.
The Mirror says Mane only had 12 months left on his Anfield contract and verbally agreed terms on a three-year deal with Bayern worth a reported £250,000-a-week, leaving Liverpool with little bargaining power.
Mane had demanded to become Liverpool’s top earner to sign a new deal to stay at Anfield and Liverpool were not prepared to smash their wage structure to keep a player who was 30 in April.
Mane leaves Liverpool having scored 120 goals in 269 appearances, to help them win the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Super Cup.