Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola has admitted that Leroy Sane’s future is up in the air although he wishes the player will remain at the club.
While the Premier League champions remain determined to keep the winger this summer, reports suggest that that Bayern Munich have held ‘positive’ discussions with Sane’s representatives over a potential move to the Allianz Arena.
Speaking after Sane scored twice in City’s 6-1 friendly win over Hong Kong side Kitchee, Pep Guardiola said the player can become even better if he stays in England.
“He did a good game, especially in the second half. He is a guy who we appreciate, I like him a lot. I think he can be better. Two times, three times I said: we want him to stay. That’s why he has an offer to extend his contract. It’s not in our hands. The agreement is good and if he wants to leave, I’ll be sad. Hopefully, he stays.”
Sane has been strongly linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer with the German Champions touted as his most likely destination.
He had a mixed 2018/2019 campaign with Man City winning the domestic treble with the side but after a good start to the season, he lost his starting place in the side.
He also saw himself hauled off a number of times after sub-par first-half performances by manager Pep Guardiola, leading to suggestions that the player might leave due to frustration.
Man City are, however, desperate to get the 23-year-old to sign a new contract and although Bayern president Uli Hoeness has expressed interest in the player, he admitted that it would cost “an insane amount” of money to sign him in the summer.
City remain confident that Sane will sign a new deal with the club as he has not expressed any desire to leave.
However, it appears that Bayern Munich’s German players can’t wait to have the Manchester City winger join their ranks ahead of next season.
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski says the club’s German players remain optimistic that Sane will join them and are eagerly awaiting his arrival, particularly following the departures of wingers, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
“Bayern’s German players are now very much looking forward to Sane’s signing, but we have to wait and see what is going on,” Lewandowski told Goal. “They [Robben and Ribery] are legends, of course their departure is sad.
“But Bayern will also sign more and better replacements. I believe that the winger Bayern will sign in the future will be as good as Robben and Ribery. In order to have a good performance next season and to overcome Dortmund, I hope that Bayern can do something in the transfer market this summer.”
Sane joined City from Schalke in 2016 for £37m and has won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup.