Manchester City winger Leroy Sane has decided to move on from the club and is likely to begin his next chapter with German champions Bayern Munich, manager Pep Guardiola said on Wednesday.
British and German media reported on Tuesday that Bayern had reached an agreement with City to sign Sane in a deal worth 45 million euros (40.72 million pounds) plus add-ons, with the winger poised to a sign a five-year deal with the German club.
Guardiola confirmed that there were a few kinks that needed to be ironed out before the deal could be announced.
"It looks like it but it's not already done. There are some little issues but it looks like he is going to go to Munich. We wish him all the best and thanks for our years together," Guardiola told reporters ahead of Thursday's Premier League clash against Liverpool.
"He will have another chapter at a fantastic club in Bayern. He wanted to leave. Everyone has their own life and he decided to move on. I would have loved for him to stay but he believed he would be better and happier there."
City's reign as Premier League champions came to an end after last week's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea gave Liverpool an insurmountable 23-point lead at the top of the standings with seven games to play.
Guardiola admits City, who were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season, have a point to prove when they welcome Juergen Klopp's side to the Etihad.
"We are incredibly satisfied with what we have done, but with athletes that is never enough. The past is the past... the show must go on," he said.
Guardiola, 49, insists his side will be back in top form next season.
"We’re going to make Liverpool feel (the heat) next season and the other opponents as well, try to fight with them for the next chapters in the league," the Spanish manager said, adding that he has a healthy respect for his Liverpool counterpart Klopp.
"I don’t know him that well but I admire him and the way that his teams play football. He wants to win, I want to win but when it is finished the game is over," Guardiola said.
(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
