Bayern respond to Sané’s surprise agent switch amid contract talks

After stepping up his performances late in the season, Leroy Sané appeared poised to extend his expiring contract with Bayern Munich, as talks over a new three-year deal were nearing completion.

However, just before the agreement was finalized, the winger made a surprise move by changing his agent - a decision that may signal second thoughts about the significant pay cut he would have needed to accept.

According to reports, the proposed contract would have earned Sané €10 million per year - around €5 million less than his current salary. Performance-based bonuses could have increased that figure by an additional €4-5 million, but even then, it would still mark a considerable reduction in earnings.

Remarkably, Sané’s new agent is none other than Pini Zahavi, the high-profile negotiator famously labeled a “money-hungry piranha” by Bayern supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß during tough talks over David Alaba’s contract years ago. The Austrian international ultimately left the club to join Real Madrid.

Despite the potentially more complex negotiations ahead, Bayern president Herbert Hainer appears optimistic.

“I don’t know his motives,” Hainer told reporters. 

“But we’ve almost always reached an agreement with Zahavi in the past. I’m an optimist by nature. Leroy has said many times that he wants to stay.

“Leroy is having a good season. Zahavi is an experienced agent - negotiations with him aren’t always easy, but that’s part of the business. We’ll see how it unfolds. [Board member for sport] Max Eberl is handling things excellently alongside [sporting director] Christoph Freund.”