Ex-Premier League ace Leroy Sane has shocked Bayern Munich with an unexpected contract rebuff, and a long-awaited reunion with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been touted
Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane could be on the move this summer after a contract U-turn, and his strong relationship with Mikel Arteta has Arsenal on high alert. The Germany winger previously graced the Premier League with Manchester City and, under Pep Guardiola and then-assistant Arteta, hoisted a pair of top-flight titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cup trophies.
Sane jumped the City ship in 2020 and has continued his addiction to silverware in his homeland. However, after five years in the Bundesliga with Bayern, what seemed like routine contract negotiations have hit a snag.
It is reported that the 29-year-old was on the verge of penning a new lower-salary deal, but with a switching of agents, a demand for a signing fee has now created a stalemate.
This bombshell has made English clubs' ears prick, specifically the Gunners. Their Spanish head coach struck up quite the camaraderie with wideman Sane, whose past comments on the influential Arteta make for promising reading when transfer rumours are concerned.
Earlier this week, Sky Germany reported that 29-year-old Sane became dissatisfied with a lower-salary contract offered by the recently crowned Bundesliga champions.
The extension would have lasted until 2028, with reduced wages. This twist came after the German left former representatives 11Wins and began working with agent Pini Zahavi.
On the back of this, it was claimed that both Arsenal and Chelsea were put on high alert and could be interested in trying to pry Sane away from Bayern.
Back in 2020, a report by The Independent detailed just how influential Arteta had been in developing Sane at the Etihad, just after he left Manchester behind.
It was said that the Spaniard often 'pulled Sane aside' and gave him the tactics that allowed him to break through under Guardiola, and that Arteta helped him on a 'psychological and personal level.' Speaking to the same publication that year, Sane added: "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."
Before Sane's Bayern faced off against Arteta and his Arsenal side in the Champions League in April 2024, the winger was again asked about the role Arteta played in his development, and he replied with more kind words – possibly hinting that if the ball got rolling on a deal, personal terms may not be an issue.
"It was great. I was really pleased to work with him because he helped me a lot at Manchester City," Sane told reporters at the time about his relationship with Arteta. "We had a lot of individual talk about how I can improve my game. What are my weaknesses and strengths?
"Through him, I made quick, huge improvements because of the ideas he gave to me. I still keep them in my mind. If it's about positioning, how I have to behave in certain situations, so I'm pleased for that."