DONE DEAL:Keita joins Werder Bremen after leaving Liverpool

DONE DEAL:Keita joins Werder Bremen after leaving Liverpool

Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has joined Werder Bremen on a free transfer (Adam Davy/PA)
Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has returned to Germany to join Werder Bremen after the expiration of his contract at Anfield.

The Guinea international’s £52million move to Merseyside from RB Leipzig in 2018 came with high expectations.  However,  he disappointed in his 129 appearances over five years as he struggled to get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League and missed large amounts of time with a series of injuries.

The 28-year-old featured just 13 times last season, was left out of the Champions League squad due to injury, and started only three Premier League matches.

Bremen will hope the midfielder’s return to the Bundesliga will bring a change of luck after scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists in 58 matches for Leipzig before his move to Liverpool.

“A number of clubs are obviously going to be interested when a player like Naby Keita is available on a free transfer,” said Bremen head of scouting Clemens Fritz.

“We’re therefore really pleased that Naby has decided to join Werder, despite several other offers. His qualities will massively strengthen our team.

Sadio Mane transfer latest: Bayern stance, Chelsea swap deal, Arsenal hijack, Pochettino demand

Sadio Mane looks set to leave Bayern Munich after just a single season in Germany with Chelsea and Arsenal among the clubs linked with making a transfer swoop for the Senegalese star

Sadio Mane transfer latest: Bayern stance, Chelsea swap deal, Arsenal hijack, Pochettino demand (Image: (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images))

Sadio Mane could be set to return to the Premier League after just one season with Bayern Munich. The Senegalese forward has endurred a difficult debut season in Germany and has now been linked with a return to England.

The German giants are open to selling Mane after he has scored just 12 goals and provided six assists in 37 appearances. The decision to let the 31-year-old leave comes following a serious bust-up between Mane and Bayern team-mate Leroy Sane following their Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat against Manchester City.

The German outfit completed a £35million deal to bring Mane to the Allianz Arena last summer and but a number of players at the club have since distanced themselves from the ex-Liverpool star following his spat with Sane. The Senegal international was fined more than £250,000 by Bayern for punching his team-mate in the face and now could make a shock return to the Premier League.

With that said, football.london has taken a look at all the latest news and rumours regarding Mane’s future.

Todd Boehly plots shock Sadio Mane transfer swoop after Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea demand

Chelsea are plotting a summer transfer swoop for Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane. The Blues are expected to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach with the Argentine ordering Todd Boehly to pursue a deal for the former Liverpool star.

Mane spent six years at Anfield and is considered to be a Liverpool icon after winning every club trophy possible with the Merseyside outfit. Reports have suggested Bayern are open to cashing in on Mane and a bid of £30million could be enough to seal a deal.

Pochettino wants to sign a new goalkeeper, central midfielder and striker if he is appointed as manager of the Blues. Mane has played as a No.9 before and his versatility could be a key asset for Chelsea next season if they can agree a deal with the player and Bayern.

Reports have since suggested that an exit for Mane could be on the cards after just one year at the club. Chelsea are said to have been linked with a potential switch to deal with their goal-scoring concerns, with journalist Christian Falk claiming that Bayern would be willing to negotiate a deal.

He told CaughtOffside: “Meanwhile, FC Bayern is looking for a buyer for Sadio Mané. A trade with Osimhen would be appreciated but is unrealistic. Mané is said to earn €12m-net in Munich. Naples doesn’t pay that.

“In Munich, however, people took notice, as it is said that Chelsea are interested in signing Mané. FC Bayern would be willing to negotiate if asked.”

Arsenal have chance to complete 11-year Sadio Mane transfer mission amid Arsene Wenger ‘mistake’

Sadio Mane faces an uncertain future at Bayern Munich and the ex-Liverpool forward has been tipped to leave the German champions in the summer.

According to a report in Senegal published in 2019, via Daily Cannon, Arsenal were given the chance to sign Mane in 2012 but decided not to because he wasn’t “impressive enough”. This was just before he signed for Red Bull Salzburg at the age of 20, where he went on to score 45 goals in 87 games.

While Wenger’s thoughts on the failed transfer are unclear, the former Arsenal manager is a fan of Mane and previously described Liverpool’s decision to let him go as a “mistake”. Speaking to BeIN Sport via Foot Mercato, the Frenchman said: “They lost Mane, who was a top player in big games.

“He had something, an aggressive attitude and determination. He would score no matter what, he would make things happen. It’s hard to measure what it takes away from them. They are missing something they had before.”

Arsenal urged to complete Sadio Mane transfer after touching Bukayo Saka moment

Arsenal have been urged to sign Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane just months after the ex-Liverpool forward was involved in a touching moment with Bukayo Saka at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony. Mane and Saka clearly have a good relationship and now former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has urged the Gunners to sign the Bayern star following a difficult season in Germany.

Speaking to DAZN Bet, Saha said: “If Bayern let Mane go, I think Premier League clubs should consider him. He’s one of the top 10 players in the world, for any team in the Premier League he would make a brilliant addition apart from Man Utd, because he played for Liverpool for so many years, but he’s a terrific player.

“I don’t wish him to go anywhere, I want him to fulfil his contract, he wanted to leave. He’s a top lad.

“Although he has not projected the image or body language you would expect from him. So perhaps he needs to work on that.”

Read on here.

Bayern Munich open to Mane exit

Bayern are open to letting leave Mane leave the club in the upcoming transfer window, according to BILD.

The report states that Chelsea recently expressed an interest in bringing the former Liverpool forward back to the Premier League. Mane previously spent six years at Liverpool, helping the Reds to Champions League and Premier League glory before joining Bayern last summer.

The 31-year-old is valued at €45million (£39.1million) by Transfermarkt – but with Bayern open to selling, Chelsea could sign Mane for as little as £30million this summer.

Bayern Munich players ‘distanced’ from Sadio Mane

A number of Bayern Munich players have reportedly distanced themselves from Sadio Mane after his recent altercation with fellow team-mate Leroy Sane.

It emerged shortly after Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat by Manchester City that the ex-Liverpool star had punched Sane in the dressing room after the full-time whistle at the Etihad Stadium.

After scoring six goals in his opening 14 Bundesliga matches, it seemed inevitable the 31-year-old would prove to be one of Bayern’s key performers. An injury sustained at the start of November halted rhythm being developed by the Senegalese forward, however, ruling him out of the World Cup before eventually making his return at the end of February.

Criticised for his performances upon making his first-team comeback, his high-profile incident has done little to ease pressure on his shoulders and could now lead to him exiting the German giants after only one season at the club.