German international winger Leroy Sané has arrived in Istanbul and is reportedly on the cusp of completing a free transfer to Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray.
The 29-year-old landed at Atatürk Airport on Thursday, where he was photographed wearing a Galatasaray scarf, a clear signal of his imminent move.
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Galatasaray wasted no time in publicizing Sané’s arrival, posting images on their social media channels and officially announcing that they have “started transfer talks” with the highly sought-after player.
Fan excitement has reached a fever pitch, with over one million supporters reportedly tuning into a live YouTube broadcast on Tuesday tracking Sané’s flight to the city.
Sané’s contract with Bayern Munich is set to expire at the end of June, making him a free agent. He joined the Bundesliga giants on a five-year deal from Manchester City in 2020.
Despite Bayern’s keenness to retain the winger and their offer of a contract extension, Sané reportedly opted to reject the proposal, paving the way for his departure.
Notably, Sané had been included in Bayern’s 29-man squad for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, which commences on June 15.
However, he is now expected to finalize his move to Galatasaray in the coming days. The Athletic reports that Sané has verbally agreed to a three-year deal with the Turkish club.
During his four seasons at Bayern, Sané played a significant role, scoring 61 goals in 220 appearances across all competitions, including 13 goals in 45 matches last season.
He was part of the squad that secured four consecutive Bundesliga titles. Prior to his spell in Germany, Sané enjoyed a highly successful four years with Manchester City, where he won six major trophies.
