Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that the club have opened talks with Schalke 04 attacker Leroy Sane regarding a potential transfer.
The 20-year-old, who has been heavily linked with City in recent weeks, has asked to leave Schalke in order to push through a transfer elsewhere.
It has been reported that City may fork out £46.5m to seal the youngster's signature, but Bayern Munich are believed to be considering a swoop.
After losing 1-0 to Bayern in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday night, Guardiola said in the post-match press conference that City may struggle to finalise a deal for their target.
"Sane is a player of Schalke," the Spaniard told reporters. "Of course we talk to him. Schalke knows we are interested, but at this moment we don't have many possibilities to get him.
"There's a difference between City and Schalke and it's quite big, but I don't know what's going to happen in the coming weeks and months."
Meanwhile, reports have claimed that the Premier League club have lodged a £50m bid for Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos.
Danielle Joynson
