Leroy Sane’s staggering salary demands sheds more light on Arsenal transfer failure

Germany star Leroy Sane was linked with a free transfer to Arsenal earlier in the transfer window but will instead earn an eye-watering sum at new club Galatasaray

The staggering wages Galatasaray are paying Leroy Sane have come to light. Arsenal had been linked with a move to bring the Germany international back to the Premier League, but instead he is off to Istanbul on a three-year deal.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta worked with Sane at previous club Manchester City before he left to join Bayern Munich in 2020. Any suggestions that might give Arsenal an advantage were soon put to bed, though, and Galatasaray’s spending power may well be a factor.

According to a club announcement, Sane will take home a huge £10.2million per season after tax – £7.65m basic and a £2.55m net loyalty bonus each year. The Mail reports that the same post-tax amount in England would be the equivalent of £410,000 per week.

Such a sum would make him far and away Arsenal’s highest earner, and the second highest-paid player in the Premier League behind Erling Haaland. Even Mohamed Salah, who signed a bumper new Liverpool deal in April, isn’t thought to make that much.

Sane had been named in Bayern Munich’s squad for the Club World Cup, with a view to featuring in the competition. However, he left to undergo a medical in Istanbul on Thursday before completing the switch.

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Sane has spoken of the impact of fellow Germany international Kerem Demirbay in convincing him to move to Istanbul. He is the third new arrival this summer, with Ismail Jakobs and Przemyslaw Frankowski both completing permanent moves after spending time at the club on loan last term.

“It is a great honor for me to be here and to sign here. I would like to thank the club for giving me this opportunity,” Sane said upon his unveiling. “I have come to the biggest club in Türkiye. I can’t wait to give everything I have for this club and achieve success in this team. I can’t wait to meet with the fans.”

He continued: “I spoke to Kerem and he was incredibly happy that I was coming here. He told me that I would be coming to a great club, great people, great fans and a great country. He told me how happy he was and how happy I would be too. I can’t wait to meet him as soon as possible.”

Sane will take the number 10 shirt previously worn by Belgium star Dries Mertens. “Dries Mertens was a great player, a very important player. I want to achieve those successes with his number. I want to bring luck to Galatasaray with this number,” the German said.

“Frankly, I am aware of the previous images, I know all of them. I have been following them on social media. I was still very surprised. When you stand there and experience that, you feel very different emotions. I thank them very much. It was a truly extraordinary feeling. Therefore, my biggest wish is to get on the field as soon as possible and achieve success with the fans.”

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