Manchester City did something unusual during the previous summer transfer window.
After securing a £33m deal to sign Savinho from Troyes, City signed Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer from Barcelona, just one year after he left the Etihad Stadium as a free agent after a seven-year spell with the Blues.
This was the first time the Manchester club had signed someone they had previously sealed a move for in Pep Guardiola’s reign.
Once the deal was announced, Txiki Begiristain described Gundogan’s return as a “fantastic” move for everyone at City.
However, looking ahead to the next summer transfer window, the Blues could have an opportunity to do the same thing again with another player they previously signed.
Leroy Sane and Joshua Kimmich of FC Bayern München look on after the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 at Allian...
Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images
Leroy Sane could leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer
In a recent post on his official X account, journalist Florian Plettenberg shared this update concerning former City winger Leroy Sane and his current contract situation at Bayern Munich.
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He said: “A free transfer of Leroy Sane in the summer can no longer be ruled out! Some decision-makers at FC Bayern would not oppose a sale in the winter, although this is currently not a topic for Sane.
“Max Eberl is holding talks about an extension with a performance-based contract, but no concrete plans have been presented yet.
“The player does not have a written offer on the table. His priority is to stay at FC Bayern beyond 2025, and he would also be willing to accept a pay cut for that.
“But Sane has also noticed that the club’s bosses hardly, if at all, mention him publicly when discussing a new contract.”
City should keep an eye on Sane’s situation
Signed during the same summer transfer window as Gundogan, Sane arrived at City back in 2016.
Spending four years at the Manchester club, the winger joined Bayern in 2020 for an overall fee of £54.8m (via Sky Sports).
Leroy Sane Manchester City Bayern Munich
Appearances 135 191*
Goals 39 51
Assists 43 51
Trophies Won 7 7
*Prior to Shakhtar Donetsk (a)
Shortly after his appointment as Bayern’s manager, Vincent Kompany discussed Sane, saying this about his former City teammate.
He said: “We had an unbelievable time together at Manchester City. When I was at City I was a little bit more than a captain. I won’t be that different now.
“It is a talented team and he is a talented player. To make it really simple, my job is to try to get the most out of Sane and out of every player in the team. From that, I will make no distinction.”
As things stand, the 28-year-old’s current contract at the Bundesliga club is set to expire in the summer.
This means that unless he signs an extension before the end of the season, Sane will become a free agent.
While Gundogan wasn’t technically a free agent when City brought him back to the club in the summer, they still landed him on a free transfer, as they could do with Sane next time around.
Therefore, the former City winger’s contract situation is definitely something the Manchester club should be keeping an eye on to see if a potential free transfer for Sane in the summer could be on the cards for them.
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