Amorim to battle Arteta as Man Utd and Arsenal scrap for next summer’s most valuable free agent

Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly ready to head-to-head in the transfer market to sign the most valuable free agent in the game next summer.

Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane has emerged as a top target for both Premier League clubs, who will be looking to bolster their forward options ahead of next season – particularly in the wide areas.

And landing a player of Sane’s quality on a free transfer is a no-brainer, even if it means Man Utd or Arsenal will ultimately be saddled with a large salary as a result.

Bayern have already ruled out the possibility of a cheap Sane sale in January as Vincent Kompany’s men battle on multiple fronts for silverware, including wrestling back their Bundesliga title from Bayer Leverkusen.

And German publication Bild reports that United and Arsenal are ready to go toe-to-toe in the battle to sign the Germany international, with both clubs making room for the new addition by offloading Antony and Raheem Sterling respectively.

Antony has failed to make any significant impact since his big-money signing under Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford and it’s reported that the Red Devils have already made enquiries about Sane. Sterling, meanwhile, is only on loan at The Emirates and has found himself behind Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard in the pecking order of wingers in north London.

Sane currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (via FootballTransfers in conjunction with SciSports) of €43.1 million (£35.7m/$45m), a figure which puts him ahead of several notable names ahead of what promises to be one of the most high-profile free agent markets in years.

The ETV system, as it’s known, has Sane’s Bayern teammate Joshua Kimmich next on the list at €39.1m followed by highly-rated Lille striker Jonathan David€34.7m. Somewhat surprisingly, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (€27.9m) and Virgil van Dijk (€19m) are below those figures, although their respective ages are the reason for that. Trent Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, is valued at just €26.4m.

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Sane reluctant to take Bayern pay cut

Sane has found himself competing with Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman for game-time in Kompany’s team this season and has been tipped to move over his reluctance to sign a contract on a discounted salary in Bavaria.

The 28-year-old is enjoying his fifth season with Bayern after completing a £45million move from Manchester City back in 2020.

However, Bayern are looking to reduce Sane’s salary by €2-4million (£1.7-3.3m), with sporting director Max Eberl aiming to cut costs where possible. Currently, the forward earns up to €20m-per-season (£16.5m), depending on performance bonuses.

Sane is not the only Bayern player as risk of having their wages slashed, with a host of key squad members, including Kimmich and Manuel Neuer, also set for difficult conversations.

But, despite his contract situation Sky Deutschland reports that Bayern are reluctant to offload Sane in January, even if they will recoup a bargain fee from a European rival for his services.

The player himself can also agree an exit with a foreign club from January, with both United and Arsenal likely to be at the front of the queue when the new year rolls around.

Sane has scored three goals but is yet to register an assist in 11 games for Bayern in all competitions this season. He has also been selected in the starting XI just twice.

IN FOCUS – Sane’s English trophy haul

Sane spent four years in England with Manchester City between 2016-2020.

His trophy haul in England includes:

Premier League – (2017/18, 2018/19)

League Cup – (2017/18, 2018/19)

FA Cup – (2018/19)