"He never said he wanted to stay" ‒ Bayern chief opens up on Sané exit | OneFootball

After lengthy negotiations, Leroy Sané ultimately turned down a contract extension offer from Bayern Munich and opted to join Galatasaray on a free transfer.

Speaking at Bayern’s training camp in the United States ahead of the Club World Cup, board member for sport Max Eberl provided insight into why an agreement was never reached.

“We made it clear that we wanted to keep him - but only under terms we consider appropriate,” Eberl said.

“At FC Bayern, we’re dealing with the issue of wage costs being too high.”

Eberl stressed that the club bears no ill will towards Sané over his departure.

“It’s normal for a player to receive another offer and accept it - that’s completely legitimate. There are no hard feelings,” he noted.

“I don’t think Leroy ever said he wanted to stay. He said he could imagine it.”

Despite his impending departure, Sané will still represent Bayern at the group stage of the Club World Cup..

“He said he wanted to play in the tournament, so we told him he could come,” said Eberl.

“We want players who are ready, who bring energy and the desire to be here.”

Eberl said Sané demonstrated exactly that, which is why the club agreed to let him feature.

“He wanted to be part of the team, so we told him to come.”