Bayern Munich are still interested in signing Manchester City's Leroy Sane, but they are only willing to pay up to £60m to secure their long-term target.
The German club's love affair with Sane has remained ongoing, despite the forward having not played a single minute of Premier League football this season due to a knee injury.
Unfortunately for City, the feeling is mutual. 90min has been reporting as far back as last July that Sane has been open to joining Bayern, and in the months after that, the feeling has been stretched to the 24 year old being 'anxious' to move to Bavaria.
It's also been reported that new permanent Bayern manager Hans-Dieter Flick called Sane for 30 minutes to discuss, one can assume, him moving to the Allianz Arena.
Pep Guardiola's side were braced for their own anxious conclusion to the 2019 summer transfer window (when Niko Kovac was in charge at Bayern), only for Sane's injury to curtail Die Roten's pursuit at the final hurdle. While their interest hasn't dissipated, how much they're willing to spend seemingly has.
While the price tag on Sane's head last summer previously hovered around the £87m mark, Sky Germany (via Sky Sports) now claim Bayern only want to pay around £52m to £60m.
It may immediately come across as Bayern valuing the player for less, but a number of factors need to be taken into account for their price limit. Firstly, Sane's deal is set to expire in the summer of 2021 - therefore his value will naturally decrease.
Secondly, we're talking about a player who has not played football since August, with the lack of match fitness sure to play a part as well.
Thirdly, the financial implications of the coronavirus outbreak seemed like preventing any mega-money deals from taking place, but while Bayern are still keen on Sane, the lowered fee may also be a result of reduced income.
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Source : 90min