Mane: Fans can’t agree whether Bayern Munich new man is biggest Bundesliga signing ever

Sadio Mane’s transfer to Bayern Munich has ignited debate among fans online whether he is the biggest player ever signed by a Bundesliga team.

Mane completed his move to the Bavarian giants on Wednesday in a deal believed to be worth €41m from Liverpool.

German network Deutsche Welle opened the discussion when they posted, “Sadio Mane is the biggest star ever signed by a Bundesliga side. Discuss.”

This drew mixed reactions from fans as well as rival Bundesliga teams.

FC Schalke 04, who have returned to the Bundesliga after a season in the second-tier, were among those who disagreed.

They posted an image of former Real Madrid striker Raul with the caption ‘Discussion over’ to suggest the three-time Champions League winner, who played two seasons in Gelsenkirchen, was bigger than Mane.

A number of fans online feel Mane trumps them all while others think there were greats who were better than the Senegal international.

Mane’s transfer has been lauded as a great step for African players, the German champions and the league with Bayern legend Sammy Kuffour among those who couldn’t wait for the transfer to happen.

“I would be more than glad to have him in a Bayern Munich shirt because he is so special,” said Kuffour, who won six Bundesliga titles in 11 years at Bayern, just before Mane finalised the move.

“It will give the Bundesliga an edge also Bayern in the Champions League next season because you can see his contributions with Liverpool in all these years he has been there. He has contributed a lot and when he comes to Bayern it will be the same, he won’t change.”

Another Ghana legend Abedi Pele Ayew had also shared those sentiments.

“You know Osei [Sammy] Kuffour was in Bayern and very successful in Bayern so another African being in Bayern will be great for Africa. It will give the continent a lot of publicity and will give Bayern huge publicity in Africa,” said Ayew.

Generation Foot President Mady Toure also believes the transfer is good marketing for African players.

"It is good to see a footballer trained on the continent sign in one of the best clubs in the world," said Toure.

"There was already talk of him continuing his career at Bayern or Dortmund [from Southampton], but he had this great career plan that led him to Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world. With this signing, he is promoting African football in one of the biggest teams in the world," he added.

Mane has signed a three-year contract in Bavaria after leaving Liverpool where he scored 120 goals in 269 appearances, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup in six years.