Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovac says he remains confident a deal can be done to sign Manchester City winger Leroy Sane.
The 23-year-old has long been associated with a move to the Bavarian giants from the Premier League champions, with Bayern looking to replace legendary widemen Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben who both left the club at the end of last season after long spells filled with trophies.
Kovac has described Sane as Bayern’s ‘dream player’, while club icon Lotthar Matthaus says he could be the new face of the club.
Kovac issued an update on their hunt for the player on Sunday and said the whole club was focused on getting a deal over the line.
“Our club management is very committed behind it and I’m very confident,” the 47-year-old coach told ZDF in Germany. “I assume that we can get it.
“Leroy is a great footballer who has proved that in England and with the national team.”
The proposed move is one of the longest-running transfer sagas of the summer, and at one point seemed to be totally dead.
Bayern president Uli Hoeness described City’s valuation of the player as "insane" in June, but Kovac’s words on Sunday indicate the hierarchy is still working to find a fee that works for both parties.
City boss Pep Guardiola has been unequivocal that he wants the Germany international to remain at the Etihad Stadium, next year and in the future.
Sane contributed 10 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League last term as the club swept to their second straight title. However, he seemed to fall out of favour at the end of the season, missing out on some big games in the run-in.
Despite that, Guardiola said he wanted to retain a winger that fits his system and offers ‘special qualities’, but that if the player wanted to leave he couldn’t stand in his way.
City have offered Sane a contract extension, but he has not signed it yet.
His current boss said he would be ‘sad’ if the player left after the speedster starred in a pre-season victory over Kitchee on July 24.