Personal life moves Leroy Sane away from Barcelona switch

Barcelona have been linked ad nauseam with left wingers over the past two years, with the position emerging as a priority for the Blaugrana. That will likely be the case again, after they failed to bring in Nico Williams last summer, although the form of Raphinha has lessened the need to spend big there for now.

An array of wingers have been posited as potential big-money signings, with Luis Diaz perhaps the most frequently linked alongside Williams. However with Barcelona once again uncertain over their salary limit situation, they may be restricted to free agent signings this summer.

It has also been noted that there has been a shift in Can Barca, where the priority is to improve their depth at full-back for next season. A potential solution could be Leroy Sane though, who is out of contract in the summer, and has recently changed agents to be represented by Pini Zahavi. Earlier in the year, it was reported that Sane would be interested in a move to Barcelona, and Zahavi’s close links to Blaugrana President Joan Laporta certainly wouldn’t hurt in that regard.

However Christian Falk has told Bayern Insider that girlfriend Candice Brook could swing the balance. Zahavi will try to reopen talks with Bayern, who have settled on a €10m base salary and €5m in bonuses per year as their offer, but a move to England would be preferable for Brook.

Brook already spends most of their time with their children in London, and thus he would be interested in a move to Arsenal or Chelsea. Zahavi has already spoken to Arsenal, and he will tout Sane to the Gunners, although Chelsea’s signing policy makes a switch to Stamford Bridge less likely.

If, as is likely, Raphinha does extend his contract with the Blaugrana, it is hard to see them investing big in the left wing position, after a career year for the Brazilian. There has been a suggestion they could cash in on him, but unless there is a serious breakdown in talks, that seems improbable. On the other hand, Sane could be a great alternative out wide, but it seems unlikely Barcelona would spend so much on a player not guaranteed a starting spot.