Arsenal has been pipped to the post in its pursuit of Leroy Sane, with Galatasaray emerging as the front-runners. The Bayern Munich winger has been a hot property in the summer transfer window due to his impending contract expiration, and Arsenal was among the clubs keen on securing his services.
Sane's contract saga at Bayern has been a recurring theme this year, with constant speculation about his future. Bayern had been hopeful of retaining the winger beyond his contract end date of 30 June, but that optimism has now evaporated.
And as Liverpool closes in on the signing of international colleague Florian Wirtz, Arsenal has been dealt a transfer blow in its pursuit of ex-Manchester City star Sane.
According to the Athletic, Arsenal has withdrawn from the competition after Sane's agents travelled to Istanbul to negotiate a deal. Sane has verbally agreed to join the Turkish team as a free agent once his Bayern contract concludes on 30 June.
He is set to sign a three-year deal with Galatasaray worth $17 million annually. This represents a significant coup for the club, who clinched both the Turkish Super Lig and Turkish Cup last season.
Galatasaray is set to bid farewell to standout player Victor Osimhen as his loan from Napoli concludes after the 2024/25 season. With Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, eyeing Osimhen for a summer move, Sane is poised to become the Turkish club's marquee player.
Arsenal's pursuit of Sane as a potential reinforcement on the flanks has hit a snag with this development. The German international was seen as a more budget-friendly option compared to Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams and shares a past working relationship with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta from their Manchester City days.
Leroy Sane of Germany
Leroy Sane will earn jaw-dropping wages at Galatasaray (Image: Stefan Matzke/Getty Images)
Sane previously praised Arteta's impact during his early Bayern Munich tenure, saying in an interview with The Independent: "I can just say positive things about Mikel Arteta.
"Since we started working together, he has helped me a lot on the pitch. He tried to improve my football, he told me what I did good and what I did wrong, and he tried to work on it.
"Next to Pep, they both really helped me and improved me, to bring me to the next level.
"Even now, at Arsenal, for me, you can see he's doing a great job. You can see he has a concept, a way that he wants to play, a way that he wants his team to play, and obviously, it will take some time until everybody really understands it. I think he will do a great job as a [head] coach too."