Guardiola thanks Sane as Bayern move edges closer

Pep Guardiola wished Leroy Sane “all the best”, with the Manchester City winger on the verge of joining Bayern Munich.

The clubs are close to completing a deal, with the Bundesliga champions reportedly agreeing to pay up to £54.8mil (RM294mil).

Guardiola, speaking at a virtual press conference, said there were still some issues to be ironed out but the 24-year-old has travelled to his native Germany to complete the transfer.

Sane scored 39 goals in four seasons at City and played a major part in winning back-to-back Premier League titles in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

The winger has missed almost all of this season after suffering knee ligament damage in the Community Shield in August.

“I give him a big, big thanks for these years together and wish him all the best for his new chapter at a fantastic club like Bayern Munich,” said Guardiola, himself a former Bayern manager.

“I would have loved him to stay here but he has decided to move on.

“We have to rebuild. It happens at clubs around the world,” he said. “We have to accept it and take the right decisions to try to maintain the level that we have.

“We have exceptional players but after the season finishes we will reflect.”

City have already conceded 10 more goals in the league than they did in the whole of last season’s title-winning campaign, and still have seven games left.

Midfielder Fernandinho, 35, and striker Sergio Aguero, 32, are out of contract at the end of next season while David Silva, City’s 34-year-old captain, will leave at the end of the current campaign.