Arsenal have reportedly fallen behind in the transfer race for Leroy Sane amid interest from north London rivals Tottenham.
Although he was a regular under Vincent Kompany this past season, the German now seems poised to say goodbye to his time at Bayern Munich. Sane will be out of contract this summer after Bayern failed to secure a new agreement.
As a result, he has become a target for Arsenal but now it appears that Spurs have managed to edge ahead in their pursuit. Earlier this week, Sky Sports reported that Spurs had been ‘offered the opportunity’ to sign Sane ahead of the new season.
Meanwhile, BILD journalist Christian Falk states that Spurs have ‘concrete’ interest in Sane – more so than Arsenal and Chelsea, who are also reportedly in the race. Sane’s agent, Pini Zahavi, is said to be very close with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, and this could be a significant factor in negotiations.
Qualifying for the Champions League has made the Lilywhites a ‘more attractive proposition’. Bayern Munich’s board member for sport, Max Eberl, has voiced surprise at Sane’s sudden switch of agents during contract extension talks, shedding light on the club’s stance and ongoing negotiations.
The winger reportedly looked set to sign a new deal before abruptly switching agents — moving from Christian Schmid of 11Wins to Pini Zahavi.
“We have good relationships with his agencies,” he said earlier in May. “It came as a bit of a surprise.
“We thought we were very far along. We’ll see how things develop. Our wish would be to extend Leroy’s contract, but we’ve also set ourselves a framework.
“We’ll see what happens Until the signature is finalized, nothing can be said. We have a clear idea and thought we were on the right track. Of course, we’re talking to the new agency. There’s no bad blood; the players are free to make their own decisions. We’re very clear.
“Leroy’s performances in recent weeks have been very good; he’s shown that he’s committed to Bayern Munich. We hope he does it, and if not, we’ll move on there as well. At the moment, the season is still being viewed as a bit too normal.
“We’ve been top of the table since the third matchday, we’ve been very stable, and we’ve always responded very well to setbacks. It’s a special, important championship. We’re hungry for more!”
The Times revealed Arsenal regard Sane as a top target along with Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi, this summer.
