Bayern Munich are set to reach out to the representatives of Manchester City winger Leroy Sane in the coming weeks, after rejecting City's offer to take Gabriel Jesus instead.
The Bundesliga giants publicly pursued Sane during the summer transfer window, but eventually withdrew their interest after the German suffered a serious knee injury during the Community Shield victory over Liverpool.
According to Christian Falk, Sane is now walking without crutches and Bayern are satisfied that his recovery is going well. They are expected to reach out to the winger's agents to try and negotiate a transfer in January.
Sport Bild believe that City's asking price will have now dropped for Sane. They initially wanted €150m for the 23-year-old, who will be out of contract in 2021, but the uncertainty about his fitness will likely force City to lower their demands.
The Citizens are keen to retain Sane, and they are said to have encouraged Bayern to pursue a deal for striker Jesus instead.
The club are believed to have been open to parting ways with the 22-year-old Brazilian for €100m, but Bayern were simply not interested as they only want to sign Sane.
Bayern officials believe that will be able to sign Sane for a discounted price, given he will be able to walk away for free in just 18 months. Should the German continue to reject their offer of a new contract, City may have no choice but to sell Sane.
UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations could also play a part. City's dealings are under supervision from the governing body, so the chance to bring in a sizeable income and balance the books could be too good to turn down.
City's demands for Sane had previously proven to be a problem for Bayern, with outgoing president Uli Hoeness admitting that a deal looked unlikely during the summer because of City's 'insane' demands.
Bayern are believed to be reluctant to spend over €80m on a player, but they may have some real negotiating to do if they are to convince City to drop down to that figure.
Source : 90min