Dietmar Hamann has claimed that Sadio Mane appears ‘isolated’ at Bayern Munich following his arrival from Liverpool earlier this summer.
The Senegalese star was a heavy favorite at Anfield, but after entering the final 12 months of his contract with the Reds, he decided to swap the Premier League for the Bundesliga after winning every major trophy possible at the club.
The 30-year-old has scored five goals in 10 competitive games for the German giants, but Hamann, who played for both Liverpool and Bayern, believes the AFCON champions do not look happy in Munich.
“It’s not integrated,” he told GMX via Mirror.
“I saw him at Liverpool FC, where he played in the middle. That is not his position. He now also occupies that position at FC Bayern. He is at his best when he comes in from outside. He doesn’t look happy to me.
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“Other players like Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala or, in defense, Lucas Hernández, who is injured at the moment, are doing an outstanding performance.
“No one is talking about Mane right now. He seems isolated and hardly participates in the game. FC Bayern have to control that.”
It was a shock to Liverpool supporters to see their number 10 leave the club, but it was clear that he felt he was ready for a new challenge.
He was one of our most important players, but with Luis Diaz’s impressive performances this season, the Senegal international’s departure hasn’t been as felt as many had hoped.
Bayern are one of the best teams in Europe and Mane may just need a little time to fully settle into the club and start performing at his best.
Jurgen Klopp deployed him in the center for much of last season to slot both Diaz and Mo Salah to the flank, but he is clearly at his best when operating on the left flank.
Julian Nagelsmann, manager of the Bundesliga champions, has been toying with Mane at center and that may be causing the £30m man some frustration.
It’s just the early days, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the campaign plays out for the former Liverpool favourite.
Darwin Nunez, who replaced Mane at Anfield this summer, appears to be in a similar situation as he, too, needs time before he is expected to go full steam ahead.
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