Sadio Mane and Bayern Munich have reportedly reached an agreement over personal terms ahead of the attacker's summer transfer from Liverpool.
Mane will soon enter the final 12 months of his contract with the Anfield giants and has supposedly decided that he wants to begin the next chapter in his career for 2022-23.
Bayern have long been regarded as the frontrunners for Mane's signature, but their early approaches for the 30-year-old have been swiftly rebuffed by Liverpool.
The Reds are understood to have already rejected two bids from the German champions for Mane, including one that would have only reached £25m if the Senegal international won three Ballon d'Ors.
However, Liverpool are expecting Bayern to eventually meet their asking price, and Julian Nagelsmann's side are reportedly preparing their third offer for the former Southampton man.
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According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Mane has already agreed personal terms with the Bavarian giants for a three-year deal and is inching ever closer to a switch to the Allianz Arena.
Romano adds that Liverpool are aware of Mane's desire to leave the club, but Bayern's third bid for the Africa Cup of Nations winner could still fall short of their asking price.
Bayern are supposedly willing to offer an initial €35m (£30.3m) plus a further €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons, but Liverpool are holding out for a fee of £42.5m despite his contract situation.
Nevertheless, both sides anticipate that a deal will go through before the start of the new season, which would see Mane end his Liverpool career after a goal-laden six-year spell.
Jurgen Klopp's side paid £37.1m to bring Mane to the club from Southampton in 2016, and he has gone on to register 120 goals and 48 assists in 269 games for the Merseyside club.
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Mane has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup during his time at Anfield and also finished as joint-top scorer in the 2018-19 top flight with 22 goals.
The ex-Metz and Red Bull Salzburg starlet ended the 2021-22 season with 23 goals and five assists from 51 appearances, including 16 strikes from 34 outings in the Premier League.
In preparation for Mane's expected exit, Liverpool announced the signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica on Tuesday in a deal that could reach up to a club-record €100m (£86.7m) with add-ons.
Divock Origi has already left the club as a free agent and will soon sign for AC Milan, while Takumi Minamino could also head for the exit door if his £17m valuation is met.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez are among those who may also seek pastures new before the transfer window shuts, and the former has been linked with a shock move to Manchester United.
Ben Knapton
