According to a report by German news outlet Bild, Manchester City winger Leroy Sane has agreed personal terms with Bavarian giants Bayern Munich. The German speedster is still on the road to recovery from an injury he suffered back in August. There was speculation he would join Bayern in the winter transfer window but no deal materialised.
Sane’s current contract with City expires in 2021 and he has not signed an extension yet, leaving the door open for his return to Germany. Sport Bild also reports that sportswear giants Adidas are also looking to sign the winger.
The German is signed to American brand Nike and the deal is set to expire this July. According to the report, Adidas want to sign the player before his presentation as a Bayern player.
But the switch would not be as simple as it seems. According to the contract between Nike and the player, Nike have a ‘matching right’ to the player, which allows it to match any offer by a competitor in order to retain Leroy.
Bayern Munich are offering Sane the #10 shirt which was last worn by the Dutchman Arjen Robben. This is sure to generate huge kit sales among Bayern fans and Bild magazine claim that Sane will be the “Bayern Beckham”, who will bring in new fans and business to the club.
Not only Adidas, PUMA also are after the 24-year-old trying to entice him into a new sponsorship deal. While as of now it is unclear as to what is happening behind the scenes, Adidas seem to have an upper hand at the moment.
The German kit manufacturer partially owns Bayern Munich and the current Bayern President, Herbert Hainer also was the former CEO of Adidas.
We could potentially see a bidding war between Nike and Adidas over the player and it remains to be seen who Sane finally signs for.
