MX23RW : Friday, February 7 11:15:38| >> :60:17:17:

Pep Guardiola: 'I would have liked Leroy Sane to stay'

The German winger is closing in on a move to Bayern Munich.

Pep Guardiola has wished Leroy Sane well with the winger set to leave Manchester City for Bayern Munich.

City are close to completing a deal with the German champions that could be worth a potential £54.8million.

Guardiola said: “It looks like he is going to go to Munich. I wish him all the best. I give him a big thanks for our years together.

Pep Guardiola is preparing to lose Leroy Sane
Pep Guardiola is preparing to lose Leroy Sane (Nick Potts/PA)

“I would have liked him to stay here but he has decided to move on.”

After losing out on the Premier League title to Liverpool this season, City have the chance to prove a point as they host the Reds at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

Guardiola says, however, that his team always want to prove a point.

Speaking at a virtual press conference to preview the game, Guardiola said: “In sport, you have to prove every time.

“We are incredibly satisfied with what we have done and are doing but for athletes it is never enough. The past is the past, we have entered it in our memories but the show must go on.”

Guardiola has a healthy respect for his Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp, with the pair’s rivalry being an amicable one.

Guardiola said: “I don’t know him that well but I admire him and the way that his teams play football. It is a benefit for the world, a positive to try to score a goal, and this kind of manager helps a lot.

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have an amicable rivalry
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have an amicable rivalry (Peter Byrne/PA)

“He wants to win, I want to win, but when it is finished the game is over. He’s my colleague and of course I want to have a good relationship with managers.”

City are still to learn where the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid will be played. The match was due to be played in Manchester but there have been suggestions it could be moved to Portugal when the competition resumes in August.

Guardiola said: “We are going to play wherever UEFA decide to play. Hopefully Manchester, but we don’t know.”

ID:404640: cacheID:404640:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6583:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool23175156213556
2Arsenal24148249222750
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest24145540271347
4Chelsea24127547311643
5Manchester CityMan City24125748351341
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle24125742291341
7Bournemouth24117641281340
8Aston Villa2410773437-337
9Fulham249963632436
10Brentford24103114342133
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton248973539-433
12Crystal Palace247982830-230
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd2485112834-629
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs24831348371127
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham2476112946-1727
16Everton236892328-526
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2454153452-1819
18Leicester CityLeicester2445152553-2817
19Ipswich TownIpswich2437142249-2716
20Southampton2423191854-369


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!