Manchester City winger Leroy Sané, a longtime subject of rumors of a move back to his native Germany, has reportedly agreed a contract with Bayern Munich—but City will not let him go cheaply.
After nearly a year of rampant speculation, Manchester City star Leroy Sané appears set to get his wish and move to Bayern Munich. After agreeing to personal terms with the German champions, the next stage is to agree a fee between the clubs, a step in the negotiation process that City will not take lightly.
Despite being universally beloved by fans, Sané has made little effort to quell the rumors of his imminent departure over the course of this season, which he has spent injured since the Community Shield victory in August. Given the financial state of football in COVID-19 crisis and Sané’s recurrent injury issues, City know they will not be able to demand the £100 million the player is well worth, but given Bayern’s paltry initial bid of just over £35 million (which would roughly break even with what City paid for him to leave Schalke in 2016), City would rather let the player leave for free the following summer than accept such an insulting offer.
And they are absolutely correct in doing so. The club’s hierarchy have been clear from the start: everyone involved wants Sané to be a massive part of the future. If he wants to leave, he must visibly force his way out and make it clear that he has no interest in representing the sky blue shirt any longer. Moreover, City are not strapped for cash in the crisis, so there is no reason to accept any offer under at least £75 million in my view, as a like-for-like replacement in terms of ability would cost at least that amount.
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City have given the winger the opportunity to flourish into one of world football’s brightest talents, but if his heart is set on leaving, he should be allowed to do so. City have a proven track record of developing attacking stars who truly want to be a part of this project, and as much as Sané is loved, he is replaceable.
It would be a sad ending to a wonderful spell in Manchester, but no player is above the interests of the club. That being said, going out with a whimper, and ceding to Bayern’s demands is a weak mentality not characteristic of City’s project, which has forever dared to challenge football’s traditional big boys. Sané can go, but it will not come without a hefty fee or a clear statement that he forced his way out of the club, not the other way around.