Al-Nassr set to end Sadio Mane stay despite Senegal forward’s impressive spell

Al-Nassr have decided not to renew Sadio Mane’s contract when the Senegal forward’s current deal expires at the end of this season, despite his strong performances since joining the Saudi club.

Mane will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club during the next winter transfer window before completing a free transfer in the following summer.

Saudi journalist Falah Al-Qahtani reported on X that Mane’s agent had made significant concessions in an effort to secure a one-year extension. Those concessions reportedly included a 60% reduction in the player’s current salary, but Al-Nassr rejected the proposal.

Mane joined Al-Nassr from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 and has since established himself as an important member of the Riyadh-based side.

Across approximately three and a half seasons, he has made 144 appearances for the club, scoring 54 goals and providing 43 assists.

His biggest team achievement with Al-Nassr came last season, when the club won the Saudi Pro League title for the first time in seven years. He was also part of the side that lifted the Arab Club Champions Cup in the summer of 2023.

Mane’s possible departure could coincide with the exits of Al-Nassr’s Portugal internationals Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix, whose futures at the club are also uncertain beyond the current campaign.

Ronaldo’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season. Several reports have suggested he could announce his retirement from international football afterwards, particularly if he achieves his long-term ambition of reaching 1,000 career goals.

The 41-year-old has scored 985 goals in his career so far and therefore needs 15 more to become the first player in history to reach the landmark.

Felix’s contract is also scheduled to end at the close of the season, allowing him to agree terms with another club during the winter transfer window and move for free the following summer.

However, Al-Nassr hold an option to extend the Portugal forward’s contract for a further two years without requiring his approval. Exercising that clause would require the Saudi club to pay Chelsea 20m euros and increase Felix’s annual salary from 10m euros to 12.5m euros.

According to details previously reported by Kooora, Al-Nassr’s management, led by Ahmed Al-Sultan, is accelerating legal procedures to activate the unilateral extension until the summer of 2029.

The move is intended to prevent Felix’s agent, Jorge Mendes, from taking him to Barcelona. Mendes was reportedly planning to use the end of the mandatory period of Felix’s contract in the summer of 2027 to arrange a free transfer or a move for a nominal fee.

Al-Nassr are currently working to resolve financial issues before informing the Saudi Professional League that they can provide the guarantees required for the deal by the deadline in May.