By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- 2019 German champions Bayern Munich are preparing for a negative reply from their preferred candidate Leroy Sane. The 2013 treble winners are now looking for a suitable replacement.
Rumors speak about Barcelona and former Borussia Dortmund striker Ousmane Dembele as the Bavarians new primary target. The football magazine Kicker is reporting Dembele is now at the top of Bayern's wishlist alongside Steven Bergwijn, a 21-year-old winger from the Dutch side of PSV Eindhoven.
Bergwijn scored 15 goals and delivered 13 assists in 41 league games last season. The deal is worth up to 40 million euro.
Several media reports say Sane has decided to stay with Premier League champions Manchester City. A final decision is expected after the winger returns from his family vacation in the US.
German international and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos said he is pessimistic about a Sane move to Munich.
"I don't think he is going to do that, but that's just my feeling," the 29-year-old said in a recent TV show while promoting his new movie "Kroos" released this week in German cinemas. Kroos added: "As Manchester City, I wouldn't let him go."
The media spoke to Sane's girlfriend, Candice Brook, about the move but she said she favored staying in England. The couple recently announced the birth of daughter Rio Stella.
Bayern coach Niko Kovac underlined the need of four new faces for his squad as defender Jerome Boateng is expected to depart next with Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches. Last week the return of former German international Mats Hummels to Borussia Dortmund was announced.
Bayern have also missed out on an additional midfielder, primary midfield target, Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo looks set to join the Citizens, and 19-year-old Ozan Kabak, who can leave second division side VfB Stuttgart by using an exit-clause worth 15 million Euros but is in negotiations with FC Schalke 04. New reports says Kabak has agreed a deal with the Royal Blues.
German international Timo Werner of RB Leipzig has been lined up as a long term replacement however, is not likely to join Bayern before summer 2020 when his contract with the east Germans expires.
At present Kovac can only count on 17 players in his squad, including wantaway Boateng and Sanches and the unexperienced youngsters Alphonso Davies (18) and Fiete Arp (19).
"You don't get anywhere with only 17 players, I guess four new ones will do," the 47-year-old commented, talking about an ideal squad size of 19.
With the season closing in rapidly, Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic is set to have his work cut out to bring the players in to add much needed depth to the defending champions.
