Bayern Munich make Nico Williams top priority to replace Leroy Sane but major stumbling block could kill transfer hopes while Athletic Club fight to keep star winger

According to a report from Sport1, Bayern have identified the Athletic Club star as the ideal player to reinforce their attack ahead of next season. However, the player's excessive wage demands could prove to be a major setback.

According to Florian Plettenberg, Leroy Sane has reached a verbal agreement to join Turkish giants Galatasaray, weeks after he was handed the option to sign a new deal at the Bavarian club. All attention has now turned towards Williams, who has an affordable €58 million (£48m/$66m) buyout clause. The move, however, could prove to be challenging for the Bavarians, with Sport1 claiming that the Spanish international would demand a salary of around €20m (£17m/$23m), which would instantly make him one of the top earners at the club alongside Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane.

While Williams has become a highly sought-after player, reports from Spain indicate that Athletic Club will not give their star player up so easily. Los Leones are going to offer a new deal with improved terms — around €10m (£8m/$11m) per season — to the 22-year-old in an effort to keep him at San Mames, with the Basque side also set to return to the Champions League next season. Earlier this week, Sky Sport in Germany already revealed that Die Roten were keen on acquiring Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain with Williams also on their radar.

The Bundesliga champions will travel to the USA to begin preparations for the Club World Cup, which begins on June 14. They will lock horns with New Zealand's Auckland City in their opening game of the tournament on Sunday, June 15.