Sadio Mane’s secret chat with Cristiano Ronaldo that helped latest transfer decision

Sadio Mane is set to become teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo after agreeing to join Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Mane has long been linked with a move away from Bayern Munich after just one season. Having been signed from Liverpool for £35.1million last summer to replace goal machine Robert Lewandowski, Mane managed just seven Bundesliga goals in 25 appearances.

He also struggled with injury and was suspended by the club in April after allegedly punching teammate Leroy Sane following Bayern’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the Champions League. And L’Equipe report that Mane is now on the verge of joining Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.

It is claimed the player has an agreement in principle with the Saudi club, but the deal is ‘not yet fully concluded’. The move would see him lead the line alongside Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr back in January after his contract with Manchester United was terminated following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Mane has previously spoken about his relationship with Ronaldo, revealing the Portuguese superstar congratulated him on his move from Liverpool to Bayern. “I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season after my move was completed,” Mane told Bild.

“He congratulated me and told me, ‘A great club! This is a great step for you!’ That says everything about the Bundesliga and underlines what I’ve already said: I think you underestimate the Bundesliga here. The recent performances in the Champions League prove that.”

Despite Ronaldo believing Mane’s switch to Bayern would be a “great step” for the 31-year-old, it has certainly not worked out that way. Current boss Thomas Tuchel gave a scathing assessment of Mane’s time at Bayern earlier this month, stating that he “fell short of expectations.”

“Basically, Sadio had an unsatisfactory season and fell short of expectations,” Tuchel said. “The competitive situation is extremely high for him with Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, we have a constellation which makes it very difficult for Sadio.

“The player knows that too, he knows my opinion and the opinion of the club. Let’s see. Crazy things have happened in football. Ultimately, the starting position is not easy. Time will make us a little smarter.”

Mane will be the latest big name player to make the switch to Saudi Arabia this summer, joining the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Edouard Mendy in making highly lucrative moves from European clubs. Mane’s former Liverpool teammates Jordan Henderson and Fabinho are also expected to follow suit before the transfer window slams shut.