Manchester City and cross-city rivals Manchester United are set to go head-to-head in the summer transfer window to sign Southampton winger Sadio Mane, according to the Daily Star.
Saints boss Ronald Koeman is set to offload the in-demand playmaker at the end of the season and is looking for a fee in the region of £30m for his services.
The Dutch coach feels that Mane will not fit into his new style of play and has put Mane’s recent struggles down to the change of system.
We do not play with three in front, we play with two strikers and that is one reason Mane did not start.
In the last few weeks he has been struggling a little bit with his performances.
The 23-year-old was targeted by Manchester City two years ago before he moved to Southampton and the Sky Blues are monitoring the situation closely, with incoming manager Pep Guardiola the one who will ultimately decide on whether they open talks or not.
Mane’s eight goals and six assists mean that he has been directly involved in almost half of Southampton’s Premier League goals this term.
The Senegal international is, however, likely to demand wages in excess of £125,000-per-week and is often criticised for his inconsistent performances.
