Liverpool legend Sadio Mane left the club in 2022 to pursue a new chapter in his career with Bayern Munich after helping the Reds reach a third Champions League Final.
Mane struggled at Bayern with injuries and form, as he was unfairly asked to switch from the left wing to striker as Robert Lewandowski’s replacement. A declining Mane then left to the emerging Saudi Pro League, joining forces with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.
Unfortunately, Mane’s tenure in Saudi Arabia has not been as fruitful as Cristiano’s. Whereas the latter is adding to his record goal-scoring tally, Mane has been good but not excellent, scoring 13 goals with 8 assists in a stat line even lower than his prime years at Liverpool.
As such, Fotomac reports that Besiktas are now circling Sadio Mane as a possible transfer target in an upcoming window, since Al-Nassr could be opening to selling the 32-year-old forward so that they can sign Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
Besiktas and the Turkish Super Lig are a step down from the Saudi Pro League financially but are arguably more prestigious, since their clubs can qualify for the Champions League.
Although Besiktas are a tier below Galatasaray and Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, they are still a good club with a Champions League pedigree. Mane has two assists in his first two starts with Al-Nassr, so he should still have something to give to Besiktas.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.