Leroy Sane: Manchester City ready to let Bayern Munich target enter final year of contract

City ready to let Sané enter final year of deal unless winger's valuation is met

Manchester City are willing to let Leroy Sané leave on a free transfer at the end of his contract unless Bayern Munich increase their £30m valuation of the winger.

Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday that Sané wants to leave City having rejected the club’s latest attempts to negotiate new terms, with no plans for talks to reopen.

The 24-year-old Germany international, whose current Etihad deal expires in the summer of 2021, is keen to return to his native Germany and negotiations are underway between City and Bayern over a transfer fee.

Bayern are hoping to sign Sané for £30m but City have no intention of selling at that price and will hold out for an improved offer. Sané joined City from Schalke 04 for £37m in 2016.

If Bayern fail to meet City’s asking price, the Premier League champions are ready to let Sané’s contract run down, in the belief that he could play a major part in any success next season.

Sané would be able to leave City as a free agent next summer in that scenario, despite the club demanding around £140m from Bayern for his signature just last summer.

The 2018 PFA Young Player of the Year was heavily linked with Bayern then, though any prospect of a move broke down when he suffered cruciate ligament damage in August’s Community Shield.

Sané has not played for City’s first team since, though completed his recovery in March and was an unused substitute during Wednesday’s Premier League win over Arsenal.

“Leroy has said he doesn’t want to extend his contract next season. He wants to leave,” Guardiola revealed at a press conference on Friday.

“That will either happen this summer or when he is out of contract. The club spoke to Leroy two or three times to extend his contract. He rejected. He wants to play at another club.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and winger Leroy Sané (Getty Images)

“The club said to me that Leroy has rejected the contract and like everyone knows if at the end of the season both clubs arrive at an agreement he’ll leave, if not then he’ll stay one more year and then leave at the end of his contract.”

Guardiola said he was “so disappointed” that Sané wants to leave City. “Of course when we make an offer to players it’s because we want him, he is a young player with incredible potential,” he added.

“He has special quality that is hard to find around the world, but we tried before the injury and after that but he rejected. He has other wishes and I understand.

“I said many times we want players who want to play at this club, who want to play with us, want to fully commit to try to achieve our targets but we respect him.”