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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.”

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs341861067541360
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8Chelsea34149116559651
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


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