Dietmar Hamann believes Sadio Mane hasn’t integrated at Bayern Munich following his summer move from Liverpool after six successful seasons.
Mane pulled the curtain down on six trophy-laden seasons at Anfield after making it clear he wanted a new challenge. With just one year remaining on his contract, Kop bosses sanctioned his exit, receiving an initial £27.1million from the German champions.
And the Senegalese international got off to a fast start with the Bundesliga giants, scoring three goals in his first three league games. However, he has since gone five without another strike, including two blanks in the Champions League.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann admitted the 30-year-old would need some time to adapt to his new teammates, after withdrawing him in the 70th minute of their win over Barcelona.
“He put in so much for Liverpool,” Nagelsmann explained. “He’s a new signing. He just needs to adapt. He was trying. I’m certain he will succeed for us.”
But Hamann, who played for both clubs, thinks Mane doesn’t look happy at The Allianz Arena and has yet to be played in his best position. “He is not integrated,” he said.
“I saw him at Liverpool FC, where he played through the middle. That is not his position. Now he’s taking that position at FC Bayern as well. He is at his best when he comes from the outside. He doesn’t look happy to me.
“Other players like Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala or, in defense, Lucas Hernandez, who is injured at the moment, are putting in outstanding performances.
“Nobody is talking about Mane at the moment. He seems isolated and hardly takes part in the game. FC Bayern has to get a grip on that.”
And while Mane is struggling to replicate his Liverpool form in Germany, his old side are facing similar difficulties without the talismanic forward. In response to his exit, Jurgen Klopp pushed for what could become a club-record deal to sign Darwin Nunez.
But like the man he has replaced, Nunez has endured some indifferent form, scoring just once in five games. Liverpool.s early form has suggested they are still coming to grips with the post-Mane era, winning only two of their opening six Premier League matches.
Understandably, much of the talk around their early season inconsistency has been their previous reliance on Mane, but Klopp insists there are more factors at play. “Sadio is a world-class player. It was always clear that we were going to miss him,” Klopp told Norwegian broadcaster TV2 ahead of their 2-1 win over Ajax on Tuesday.
“But this is not our problem now. Unfortunately, we also played bad games with Sadio. Not ‘so’ bad, but bad. I especially understand that the Liverpool fans want to discuss it, want solutions and things like that.
“But trust me, we have worked on solutions, and now we have the opportunity to show that we have understood it, and that we will react.”