Thomas Tuchel has responded to Sadio Mane saying he is "hurt" about having to leave Bayern Munich ahead of his big-money move to Saudi Arabia.
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On Monday night, the Senegal international seemed to confirm his impending switch to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League following a difficult debut campaign in Germany.
Mane, 31, is reportedly edging closer towards a move to the team captained by Cristiano Ronaldo amid rumours claiming he will become one of the Middle East country's highest-paid players.
The ex-Liverpool man endured an injury-disrupted first season at Bayern, during which he scored just 12 goals across all competitions and missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He was also suspended and fined by the club for lashing out at teammate Leroy Sane in the dressing room earlier this year after a defeat to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking ahead of his expected transfer, Mane admitted to being saddened by the situation as he believed he could have helped Bayern in the 2023/24 campaign.
While Tuchel might not agree with the former Premier League winger, the German tactician has admitted that he does sympathise with the attacker.
"We had a big hug," he said on Tuesday, according to the Liverpool Echo.
"We agreed that we don't like what's happening now but that it's the best in this situation.
"I have a very good relationship always with him and this will stay. It was kind of sad. We had a long hug but we had smiles on our faces and we assured ourselves to keep our good relationship.
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"I can totally understand he feels hurt and I'm not happy that we didn't bring him to his full potential, which is my job and responsibility. It's kind of a sad moment but in this particular situation it was the best solution to untie the knot."
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