Leroy Sane Coy on Manchester City Future Amid Bayern Munich Rumours
June 12, 2019
Leroy Sane shut down questions over his Manchester City future and links to Bayern Munich after scoring for Germany in their 8-0 demolition of Estonia on Tuesday.
The winger's 88th-minute strike completed the rout at Mainz's Opel Arena in Group C of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.
It was the final appearance of the season for the 23-year-old, who netted 10 goals and provided 10 assists in 31 appearances for City as they retained the Premier League in 2018-19.
Despite those impressive figures, Sane's star fell somewhat during the campaign as he was often sidelined by manager Pep Guardiola for the Sky Blues' biggest matches, and it has been reported he is considering his future at the Etihad Stadium:
Bayern have made it clear they are keen on signing Sane, with club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently revealing they have been interested in him since he was at Schalke, per Bild (h/t Chris Burton of Goal).
But when asked about his future after Germany's victory over Estonia, Sane was not forthcoming, per Ryan Benson of Goal:
"I'm going on holiday now. Everything else will be seen. That's it with the questions about Bayern Munich."
Part of Sane's current problem at City is that he has to compete for a starting spot with Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez.
Were he to make the switch to Bayern Munich, it is unlikely the competition would be quite so fierce as Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are both leaving the club this summer.
Sane would potentially be the ideal candidate to fill the boots of Ribery or Robben, as he can play on either flank—he favours the left—and is both a goalscorer and a creator.
At 23, he is also some way from his peak, but he is already producing impressive numbers having reached double figures for goals and assists in consecutive Premier League seasons:
Sane's current City contract runs to 2021, and according to Bayern president Uli Hoeness, the Premier League champions are asking an "insane" fee for him, per Kicker (h/t Burton).
That is hardly surprise given the immense quality of the Germany international, and it may prevent Bayern from signing him this summer.
But if Sane cannot be guaranteed more game time next season, especially in key matches, he may look to force his way out of the Etihad, which could boost Bayern's chances of snapping him up.