United receive setback to winter plans as move for former PL star “ruled out” until at least the summer – report

Bayern Munich have reportedly ruled out any chances of Manchester United or another side making a move for Leroy Sane this January window.

With incoming manager Ruben Amorim desperate to make a strong start to life at Old Trafford, United will be expected by many to dip into the January transfer window, despite being limited by a lack of funds.

One area that the Red Devils will be looking to strengthen is out wide where Antony has once again failed to produce the goods and Marcus Rashford looks far from the player he was in spite of an improved performance this season.

For this reason, United have been linked with making a move for Bayern Munich and former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane and have reportedly made an enquiry for the attacker.

He has played 11 matches in all competitions this term, scoring three goals in those games.

However, it seems like any move for the German will have to wait until the summer if it is to take place.

Sky Deutschland report that “a winter transfer can be ruled out at the moment” despite the fact that “Manchester United is monitoring his situation very closely”.

Reportedly, both Sane and Bayern are keen to strike a new deal and are optimistic about the possibility but in spite of this, there are no signs that an agreement is anywhere close to happening.

Consequently, “The pressure on Bayern is increasing as time goes on, after all, a free transfer is looming in the summer.”

The crux of the issue is that “sports director Max Eberl has the goal of reducing the salary level of the current squad next summer” and Sane is certainly one of the players, alongside Joshua Kimmich and Manuel Neuer, who will be asked to reduce their wages when they sign a new deal.

While a winter move does seem off the table for now, Sane would be free to discuss a contract with any foreign club from January onwards, so it is certainly a situation to watch if the German continues to stall on signing a new deal at the Allianz Arena.

The rumours of interest in the winger also predate Amorim’s arrival, so it will be interesting to see if the attacker is seen as a viable option to fit into the coach’s high intensity 3-4-3 formation that employs wingbacks rather than traditional wingers.