Man City Ready to Pay Mikel Oyarzabal Release Clause as Bayern Munich 'Confident' of Leroy Sane Deal

Manchester City are willing to pay the €75m (£68m) required to trigger the release clause of Real Sociedad winger Mikel Oyarzabal should Leroy Sane complete his mooted move to Bayern Munich. 

Sane has been linked with a move to Bavaria since the end of the City's Treble-winning 2018/19 season, and recent quotes from Bayern coach Niko Kovac have suggested the switch could be nearing completion. 

Speaking to the press about the saga, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Kovac stated candidly: “Our leadership is very engaged in the situation there. I'm confident and assume that we will get him."

Subsequent publications have claimed that the 'will' was actually a 'can', but the sentiment remains clear - FCB are 'confident' about Sane.

In which case, according to AS, the Citizens will turn to Real Sociedad's Oyarzabal as a replacement, having already made contact with the club and player over a potential switch.

This would come as a serious blow to the San Sebastian-based club, who have earmarked the 22-year-old as the leader of their next generation, having already handed him the number 10 shirt. 

The player already holds cult status at Sociedad, and recently renewed his contract to theoretically keep him in the Basque country until 2024, but his release clause negates any security that could provide, especially seeing as it's one the Citizens are more than willing to pay.

Of course, all of this rests on the departure of Sane, but AS, have described that transfer as 'inevitable' at this point, which would suggest that the subsequent move for Oyarzabal is almost as likely.