Bayern Munich Finally Open Talks With Manchester City Over Proposed Leroy Sane Move
By Sam Brookes
Bayern Munich have finally opened talks with Manchester City over a deal for Germany winger Leroy Sane.
The 23-year-old has impressed in his three years in the Premier League since joining from Schalke, and scored ten goals alongside providing 11 assists in the league last season.
However, he found his game time limited in the second half of the campaign, playing over 500 minutes less in the league compared to the previous season, as Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling established themselves as City's first choice wingers.
90min then learned that Sane was open to a move to Bayern, with the Bavarians having shown interest in taking him back to the Bundesliga to replace Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, who left the club at the end of the 2018/19 season.
However, the German champions did not seem hopeful of striking a deal last month when their club president Uli Hoeness told German magazine Kicker, as reported by the Evening Standard, that City's financial demands for the player were "insane."
Yet now their appears to be fresh optimism at Bayern, with The Mirror stating that Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic is looking to negotiate a deal for the 23-year-old.
City manager Pep Guardiola only wants to keep Sane in Manchester if he's happy to remain at the club, but a formal opening of talks may now be the catalyst for a move to push through.
Bayern's head coach Niko Kovac has been clear in showing his admiration for Sane, declaring that the club will do all it can to bring the winger to Munich.
"You can see that the transfer is not easy. But I know that our people are working very hard to make it happen. We will do everything to realise this transfer", he said.
Bayern begin the defence of their Bundesliga title on August 16 at home to Hertha BSC, and will hope to have Sane in their ranks as they look to improve on last season's performances in Europe - with Die Roten having been disappointingly eliminated in the Champions League round of 16 by eventual champions Liverpool.