Leroy Sané celebrates scoring against RB Leipzig. Will Bayern Munich renew the contract with the ... [+]
It was a major transfer saga that lasted an entire season. In the summer of 2019, Bayern Munich was strongly pursuing winger Leroy Sané. But Manchester City played hardball and it wouldn’t be until the following summer that Bayern signed Sané in a deal worth €49 million ($50 million).
That was already a significant drop from the more than $100 million Bayern was expected to pay in the summer of 2019. But a cruciate ligament tear suffered in the Community Shield victory over Liverpool meant that the transfer was put on hold, and when it was finally completed the following summer, it came at a significant discount.
Five years later, the marriage between Bayern and Sané might end with the German national team winger leaving on a free transfer. The 28-year-old’s contract is set to expire next summer, and thus far, there have been no negotiations to renew the deal.
The player would certainly like to stay. “[Director of sport] Max Eberl said a lot about that and I also gave my opinion,” Sané said to Sky Germany when asked about his future following Bayern’s 5-1 win over RB Leipzig. “Things are going well, and we'll see. I just want to perform now and help us win our games." Does he want to stay at Bayern? “Yes!”
Bayern boss Eberl was more guarded when confronted with Sané’s quotes. “Then we'll talk in January,” Eberl said.
January will be a busy month for Eberl. The director of sport is currently in talks to renew the contracts with Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies. And Sané? The negotiations with Sané are not necessarily high on Eberl’s priority list.
Leroy Sané has recently indicated that he would like to stay at Bayern Munich. (Photo by Marco ... [+]
A report by Kicker in the Monday print edition suggests that Bayern will not renew the deal with the 28-year-old. According to the report, Sané is willing to waive a significant amount of his current salary to remain in Munich, as the player feels comfortable in the Bavarian capital.
Even then, a deal is considered difficult. According to Capology, Sané is on €20 million ($21 million) a season at the Rekordmeister. Bayern would like to allocate some, if not all, money to Musiala, Davies, and new players like the Spaniard Nico Williams.
Indeed, the general feeling among the Bayern bosses is that it might be best for all parties to move on. After all, Sané never completely fulfilled his full potential in Munich. Whether injuries or personal reasons, it always felt that Sané performed below expectations.
A glimpse at the player’s market value development on Transfermarkt underlines this feeling. When Sané signed for Bayern, his market value was €70 million ($73 million). That market value grew briefly to €80 million ($83 million) in December 2023 when Sané formed an excellent partnership with Harry Kane.
Sané’s time at Bayern seemed salvageable at that stage as the forward played his best football under Thomas Tuchel. But another injury and Bayern’s collapse in the second half of the season saw Sané’s market value drop.
The winger was only a footnote for Germany at the European Championships last summer and also struggled at the start of the season. This year, his market value has dropped to €45 million ($47 million).
With all that in mind, it seems sensible why Bayern is trending towards letting the player go, even if Sané is willing to agree to a reduced salary. The thought process is simple: Bayern wants to rebuild the attack and needs the squad position for a younger player. Indeed, the feeling should be mutual. At 28, there is still a lot of football left at Sané, and a restart somewhere else could revive the winger’s career.
