Pep Guardiola Hints That Bayern Munich Interest Has Stalled Leroy Sane Contract Talks

Pep Guardiola has suggested that the interest shown by Bayern Munich in Manchester City's Leroy Sane has resulted in a setback in contract discussions between the player and the club.

Sane's current deal runs until June 2021, but director of football Txiki Begiristain has been in talks with the winger all summer over a new long-term contract.

Guardiola insisted that the club have been pursuing a new deal for the 23-year-old, but conceded the two parties are not as close to an agreement as they previously were. 

As quoted by the Evening Standard, the City boss said: "We want him to stay here because we try to extend the contract for more than one year.

"We were quite close a month ago and now it’s a little bit different, but that’s the reality - I can’t say anymore. That’s where it is. What Txiki sent me two or three weeks ago, it was quite close. Now it’s not."

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Meanwhile, Bayern coach Niko Kovac revealed that he was confident of signing the attacker when he claimed: "It is not easy in this day and age, you see, otherwise it would already be sorted, but I am very confident. I assume we can get it."

In this ongoing spat between the two clubs, the CEO of the Bundesliga side Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was later forced to address his manager's comments, as he said: "I did not like the statement, I’m not going to deny that. 

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"We have a very good relationship with Manchester City - our former coach Pep Guardiola is there."

Upon hearing these quotes, Guardiola then sought to calm tensions, saying: "I’m not disappointed, I know them and I know how it works.

“I talk too much sometimes. I know how it works, we keep the secret, most of the times. It’s important that we have our player. Leroy is here and we’ll try to get him ready to play the season.”