Leroy Sane's unexpected departure leaves Bayern Munich in search for a left-winger with Liverpool's Cody Gakpo making it to the shortlist.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Gakpo shortlisted as Bayern's winger options
• Bayern caught off-guard by Sane's transfer
• Search intensifies after Williams rejection

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sane's free transfer to Galatasaray has left a gaping hole in Bayern's squad. To handle planning for the upcoming season, Bayern's sporting director, Max Eberl, has flown to Munich to figure out the next steps after Williams also rejected a move to Allianz Arena, as per in Italy. The club has reportedly identified a few new targets, with Gakpo being one of the names that keep popping up.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pressure keeps mounting on Eberl and the board as Bayern's plans are taking a hit. The Bavarians are losing out on every player they have shown interest in, from Florian Wirtz to Nico Williams. Turning their attention to alternative options, the German champions shortlisted two players for the left-wing position: Gakpo and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma.

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  The German club have also initiated talks with AC Milan's Rafael Leao, but discussions yielded nothing concrete. Bayern saw Bradley Barcola as their preferred option, but the French team have insisted they will not sell him. Reportedly, Bayern held talks with Takefusa Kubo, but his €60 million (£50m/$69m) release clause is a big hurdle.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  The scenes unfolding at Munich suggest head coach Vincent Kompany's side isn't able to tempt and influence players with their current project. The club reportedly also faced the same issue when handling the transfer of Wirtz from Leverkusen. Wirtz rejected the Bavarians even though the German club offered bigger wages and incentives than the Merseyside club. Gakpo is tied to the Premier League champions until 2028, and to bring the Dutch winger to Germany, Bayern will have to shell out a big amount and present him a convincing project.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News