Kimmich on the Sané case: "I would like to be part of this team"
Leroy Sané and no end in sight: The player has rejected FC Bayern's contract offer after changing his agent, but the final word seems to be in the works. Joshua Kimmich offers arguments for staying.
Uncertain future: Leroy Sané has rejected FC Bayern's offer and is currently out of contract as of July 1. picture alliance/dpa
Leroy Sané was on the bench at kickoff for the 4-0 win at Hoffenheim. He later came on for Thomas Müller and missed a potential 5-0 goal in stoppage time, thus scoring the new champions' 100th goal of the season. A minor detail in retrospect, but what's far more important is what happens next with the 29-year-old international.
What is known is that Sané recently changed agents and is now represented by Pini Zahavi. The new contract had actually been negotiated and was ready for signature, but now the player's side has rejected it. FC Bayern, in turn, does not want to make any changes. Is everything decided?
No, according to Max Eberl: "He said he doesn't want to accept it, which is legitimate. But there's no bad blood. You can sense with Leroy that he wants to stay. Now we'll see what happens in the next few days. Leroy is a family man, he already knows what he wants," said Bayern's sporting director. But one thing is also clear: With the Club World Cup in mind, time is running out. Without an extension and with his contract expiring on June 30, Sané's inclusion in the squad for the tournament in the USA would make little sense.
New times and the comparison with TahJoshua Kimmich , who says he "spoke to him briefly once," has a decided opinion. Times have changed in the past four or five years; previously, it was hardly conceivable that players like Sané and Jonathan Tah would be out of contract in May. Leverkusen's Tah is also known to be hotly pursued by FC Bayern.
"It's important that Leroy makes a decision for himself about what he wants to do: stay here or do something else," said Kimmich, before making a plea for the record champions: "Looking at how we've played football this season, I'd be keen to be part of this team. It's fun, it's a great club, we have a great coach and a great team, and we play attractive football." These factors also played a role in his contract extension.
Regardless, Kimmich has not failed to notice Sané's improved performance in recent months, praising his teammate: "For me, he has been very reliable over the last six or nine months. Leroy had phases in which he perhaps played more spectacularly, but to deliver with such consistency over months, not only with goals and assists, but also in the way he played, that was top-notch as a teammate."
For Kimmich, the decisive factor was: "His time before was full of ups and downs; you never really knew what you were going to get from him. I think he's handled that very well. Let's see how he does." The case seems simple, yet it's difficult. Both sides are somehow interested, but can't seem to find common ground. Money rules professional football.
