Leroy Sane brought an end to speculation around his future this week. The German winger rejected the modified contract offer from Bayern Munich and decided to take up the lucrative deal from Galatasaray. Sane completed his move to Galatasaray earlier this week and signed a three-year contract.
The German international has joined Bayern’s training camp in the USA after the visit to Turkey. Sane will play for Die Roten until June 30 in the Club World Cup. He will feature in the group games and potentially in the round of 16.
Sane’s departure is a blow for Bayern since they were eager to keep him for next season. Vincent Kompany wanted to have Sane in the squad for next season. The German winger enjoyed his most productive campaign in the Bundesliga under Kompany since arriving in Munich way back in 2020.
Bayern were close to reaching an agreement with Sane in April, but the 29-year-old changed agents and appointed Pini Zahavi to lead the negotiations. Die Roten were not keen on raising their contract offer, while Galatasaray offered a much more lucrative deal. Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea were also linked with a move for Sane.
Despite leaving Bayern on a free transfer after failed contract negotiations, Sane told Kicker that there was no bad blood between him and the Bavarian club. He also insisted that it was a difficult decision to leave Bayern after enjoying successful five seasons.
"The decision wasn't easy for me. My time here wasn't always easy, but there were also many highlights. I felt at home here, I enjoyed last season a lot, and I've been able to make many friends within the team over the years. Even though the media portrayed it that way, there was never a 100% agreement. But it is what it is now – I'm not angry with anyone"Leroy Sane
Former Bayern midfielder expects Sane to shine at Galatasaray
While talking to Sky Sports this week, former Bayern midfielder Hamit Altintop insisted that Sane would be a great acquisition for Galatasaray. Altintop believes that it is a coup for Galatasaray since Sane is still in the prime of his career.
It is a real shame that Bayern are losing Sane after he delivered consistent performances under Vincent Kompany during Ruckrunde. He certainly had a key role to play in the team next season. However, Bayern were justified in not going beyond their allocated budget to extend his contract.
The Bavarian faithful will hope that Sane can end his time at Bayern on a high by delivering strong performances at the Club World Cup. Sane will be motivated to win another piece of silverware in the Bavarian colours before starting his new adventure in Turkey.
Max Eberl and Christoph Freund have their work cut out to strengthen the attack at Bayern since the squad will be losing the quality and experience of Sane and Thomas Muller this summer.