Leroy Sane reveals why he snubbed Arsenal interest to join Galatasaray
Leroy Sane says he received 'many offers' to leave Bayern Munich, but decided to join Galatasaray due to 'the size of the club' and 'how much interest they showed' this summer.
The 29-year-old forward touched down in Istanbul to great fanfare in the early hours of Thursday morning ahead of a proposed free transfer to the Turkish Super Lig giants.
Pictured with a Galatasaray scarf draped around his neck, Sane grinned from ear to ear and waved to the large crowd of supporters which had gathered outside Ataturk Airport.
Bayern had been determined to keep hold of Sane and offered the Germany international a bumper new contract to extend his stay into next season and beyond.
But after switching representation to super-agent Pini Zahavi, Sane changed course and honed in on a move to Galatasaray, where he is expected to bank an eye-watering salary of £11million-a-season.
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'The atmosphere here was always amazing. It was very, very loud. That's why I'm happy to be back,' Sane told Turkish media upon his arrival in Istanbul.
'I can't wait to play my first game in front of the fans.'
Arsenal were among the clubs keeping close tabs on Sane's delicate contract situation and the interest was mutual, with the winger said to be keen on a switch to the Emirates.
But according to The Athletic, the Gunners were not decisive enough in making a move and Sane pushed for a 'more immediate resolution', which was duly provided by Galatasaray.
'There were many offers. But Galatasaray as a whole impressed me greatly,' Sane added.
'I was very impressed by the atmosphere, by the size of the club, by how much they wanted me, by how much interest they showed in me. That's why I'm here at Galatasaray.'
Sane made sure to thank the thousands of supporters who had waited patiently outside Ataturk Airport for several hours.
'I'm very grateful to the fans. It means a lot to me that they came here at this hour,' he continued. More Trending
'I'm really looking forward to my first game in front of these fans.'
The move brings an end to Sane's trophy-laden five-year spell with Bayern, where he won four Bundesliga titles, two German Super Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
The former Manchester City and Schalke attacker finished with a tally of 61 goals and 55 assists in 220 games for the German champions.
It's understood Sane will put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Galatasaray, tying him to the club until June 2028.
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