Jurgen Klopp warning rings true as Sadio Mane under spotlight at Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich chiefs are growing concerned over the form and fitness of Sadio Mane, who has not scored for nearly five months.

Mane, 30, joined Bayern from Liverpool last summer in a £35million deal. It was seen as coup at the time, as the forward played a vital role in Liverpool’s revival under Jurgen Klopp. He also finished second behind Karim Benzema in last year’s Ballon d’Or vote.

Mane enjoyed a solid start to the season in Germany – scoring 11 goals in all competitions – but suffered a leg injury the weekend before the World Cup in Qatar got underway. He returned to fitness in February but has provided just one assist in the Bundesliga.

Mane’s woes in Munich are interesting. The Africa Cup of Nations winner is the second Liverpool talent to struggle at Bayern in recent years after Philippe Coutinho, who was warned by Klopp not to leave Merseyside for another top European club.

Coutinho completed a transfer to Barcelona in January 2018 – just before Liverpool went on to win the Premier League title, the Champions League and various other trophies under Klopp. It proved to be a poor decision by the Brazilian, as he struggled in Spain.

Coutinho, now 30, ended up joining Bayern on loan – where he also failed to make much of an impression – before returning to the Premier League with Aston Villa. The Copa America winner has also struggled for form at the West Midlands club.

It is believed Klopp told Coutinho before his exit, “Stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour. Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.”

While Mane’s legacy as a Liverpool legend is confirmed, there is a good chance he will not be as fondly remembered as Mohamed Salah – for example. Mane’s former strike partner signed a new contract on Merseyside and now has time to add to his legacy.

As reported by German outlet Sport1, Bayern chiefs are worried about Mane’s form since his comeback from injury. They believe the Senegal international has been off the pace since his lay-off and has won few one-on-one duels in training.

Mane, Joao Cancelo and Thomas Muller were all hooked at half-time by Julian Nagelsmann during Bayern’s 2-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen. That result leaves Bayern second in the Bundesliga table – one point behind leaders Borussia Dortmund.

Although Bayern are going well in the Champions League – recently knocking out Ligue 1 holders Paris Saint-Germain to reach the quarter-finals – they are in danger of not retaining their Bundesliga crown. Bayern have won the last 10 German titles.

It is claimed some Bayern chiefs are worried Mane’s recent injury has caused long-term damage, restricting his explosive pace. Only time will tell if Mane will regret leaving Liverpool.