Leroy Sané (29, Bayern Munich) will wear the esteemed Galatasaray jersey in Turkey. However, he is expected to play in the Bayern uniform until the end of this month.

Bayern announced on the 13th (Korean time) via the club's website that "Sané will participate in the Club World Cup as part of the club until June 30. He will officially join Galatasaray, a historic club in Turkey, after his contract with Bayern expires on June 30."

Bayern added, "29-year-old Sané is expected to perform in the Club World Cup as part of Bayern. Max Eberl, the sporting director, confirmed this," and noted that "Sané is preparing for matches in the group stage against Auckland City, Boca Juniors, and Benfica Lisbon after joining the team on Friday."

Sané, who has already confirmed joining Galatasaray as a free agent, said the club announced, "An agreement has been reached regarding Sané's transfer. The club has signed a three-year contract with him starting July 1, 2025. According to this contract, Sané will receive a guaranteed annual salary of 9 million euros (about 14.2 billion won) and a royalty bonus of 3 million euros (about 4.7 billion won)."

Approaching his move to Turkey, Sané expressed, "I will dedicate everything for this club. I hope to achieve success with this team and meet the fans quickly."

Sané, the winger for the German national team, seemed likely to re-sign with Bayern this summer. He had shown a different side towards the end of the season and publicly expressed a strong desire to stay, prompting Bayern to try to retain him.

Bayern offered Sané a three-year contract with an annual salary of 10 million euros (about 15.6 billion won) plus performance-based bonuses. Sané accepted this, reaching a verbal agreement. The situation was effectively left for only the official announcement.

However, Sané abruptly changed his mind. Just before signing the contract, he unexpectedly fired his agent and teamed up with 'super agent' Pini Zahavi. He then broke off negotiations by demanding a larger sum. Local media in Germany even criticized Sané for his character.

Entering the transfer market as a free agent, Sané attracted interest from many teams. He was linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, both in need of offensive reinforcements, and there were reports that Tottenham was eyeing him as a successor to Son Heung-min. However, Sané chose Galatasaray, where he could secure a substantial salary, leading him to the Turkish league.

As a result, Sané achieved the goal of a high salary. His contract with Bayern Munich will expire at the end of this month, meaning no transfer fee will occur. Instead, Galatasaray plans to offer him a substantial salary as a free agent.

According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany, Sané will become the highest-paid player in the Turkish Süper Lig. He is expected to earn a net salary of 15 million euros (about 23.5 billion won) until the summer of 2028. Over three years, this amount exceeds 70 billion won. This sum far surpasses the current salary of 11.7 million euros (about 18.3 billion won) earned by Allan Saint-Maximin (Fenerbahçe).

In addition, he will separately receive signing bonuses. This aggressive investment illustrates Galatasaray's intent to achieve results in the UEFA Champions League next season through Sané's acquisition.

Aydın Özbek, chairman of Galatasaray, stated, "We will create a team that will perform the greatest in the Champions League. Sané's jersey is currently on sale, and we expect hundreds of thousands to be sold. We need the passionate support of the fans."

Sané's sudden transfer has attracted explosive interest. According to Germany's Bild, a live tracker broadcast followed the flight carrying Sané to Turkey via Galatasaray's official YouTube channel, with over 1 million fans watching it. At the airport, a large banner reading "Welcome ('Herzlich Willkommen')" appeared, and the live viewer count exceeded 2 million.

Welcoming Sané received enthusiastically, he expressed, "Above all, I am really happy. It is beyond words. Just hearing the voices of the fans feels completely different from before. In simple terms, I am really happy to be here," smiling broadly.

He also added, "Of course, there were many offers, but the team of Galatasaray itself had a significant impact on me. The atmosphere of the club, its scale, and the interest shown in how much they wanted me moved my heart. That's why I decided with confidence to join Galatasaray. Thank you to Mr. Özbek for bringing me here and taking good care of me, to Coach Okan Buruk, and to Mr. Abdullah Kavukcu."

Meanwhile, Eberl requested that Bayern fans exercise restraint in criticizing Sané. He remarked, "It is completely normal for a player to receive and accept other offers. This is a legitimate matter. Sané's decision to remain with the team for the group stage matches of the Club World Cup and the potential knockout stage matches shows that he has no resentment towards Bayern."

[Photo] Galatasaray, Bayern Munich social media.

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