Sadio Mane: Jurgen Klopp coy on Liverpool star’s future as Bayern Munich rumours grow

Sadio Mane could be gearing up for his last game as a Liverpool player.

The Senegal forward’s future was a hot topic at Jurgen Klopp’s pre-match press conference in Paris ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Klopp was unwilling to make any guarantees about Mane staying at Liverpool, amid reported interest from German champions Bayern Munich.

"This is the wrong moment to speak about that," Klopp said. "Wherever Sadio will play next season, he will be a big player, definitely."

Mane, who has been at Liverpool since 2016 and has a year left on his deal, teased this week that he "will answer after the Champions League (final) if I’m staying or not."

"Come back to me on Saturday," Mane added in an interview with Sky Sports, "and I will give you the best answer you want to hear, for sure. It’s special."

Klopp seemed irritated that stories about Mane’s future have come up before the Champions League final and suggested it might have something to do with him being the former coach of Borussia Dortmund — the biggest title rival of Bayern Munich in Germany.

"It’s not the first time in my career that before a decisive game, Bayern Munich rumors are coming up," Klopp said. "I don’t know what I did. It happens."

Klopp also expressed his surprise that a new playing surface had been laid at the Stade de France late Thursday, barely two days before the biggest match in European club soccer.

Paris is a replacement host for the game, with Saint Petersburg — where it was initially scheduled to be played — stripped of hosting rights after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The field has been belatedly relaid because there were concerts staged at the stadium last weekend.

"Obviously not the best news for both teams. I have no idea how it will be," Klopp said.

"If somebody thought it was a good idea to bring the pitch the day before the game, it’s an interesting idea, to be honest. But it didn’t kill my mood a percent. I’m really happy we were here — we would have played on a petanque (surface)."

Additional reporting from AP