Mane blasted by ex-Liverpool star for having "the worst excuse" to leave Anfield

Sadio Mane's reported desire to call time on his Liverpool career has not gone down well with ex-Reds defender Jose Enrique.

Mane, 30, is rumoured to have already informed the Anfield hierarchy of his desire to leave the club this summer after six years in the red half of Merseyside. German giants Bayern Munich are waiting in the wings keen to secure his signature before any other club's can muscle their way in and hijack a potential deal.

The forward recently claimed that he would let the Senegalese people decide his fate, insisting he would leave Liverpool if that is what his home country wanted. The former Southampton star told fans that an update on his club future would be provided following the Champions League final last month - though any form of official communication from Mane is still yet to actually happen.

While away on international duty, Mane caused quite the stir as he told reporters: "Like everyone else, I'm on social media and I see the comments. Isn't it between 60 to 70% of Senegalese want me to leave Liverpool? I will do what they want. We will see soon! Don't be in a hurry because we will see this together. The future will tell us."

Mane quickly back-tracked and claimed he was only joking, even going as far to say that he will never discuss transfer speculation ever again. However, the damage has already been done and Enrique has been one high-profile figure to speak out against the Liverpool talisman.

"The worse excuse I ever heard from a player to a leave a club,' the Spaniard posted on Instagram. "He is and will stay as a legend for us but please Sadio you want to leave because they pay you more somewhere else and is fair but putting the excuse of the Senegalese people…"

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It has since been reported that Bayern Munich have already lodged their first offer for the forward, but it was swiftly rejected by Liverpool who are clearly holding out for much more than the German titans proposed.

The Times claim that the reigning Bundesliga champions offered the Reds £21million for Mane's signature along with £4m in add-ons, but that would appear to be well below the Reds own valuation of one of the most integral members of their side.

The same report states that if Mane is to leave Liverpool in the coming weeks, Jurgen Klopp has identified Benfica striker Darwin Nunez as a potential replacement. The 22-year-old has already shown the Reds what he can do after netting two goals against them across the two legs of the quarter final of the Champions League last term.