German champions Bayern Munich are set to press ahead with their interest in Schalke wonderkid Leroy Sane, but will wait until summer 2017 to complete the deal.
"?Sport.de report that Bayern are interested in signing the 20-year-old from their Bundesliga rivals, but will only move in a year's time, when a release clause becomes active in his contract.
Sane is considered one of the hottest prospects in German football at present, and has a host of suitors from the Premier League. The likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and both Manchester clubs are monitoring the player, but Bayern are hopeful that the player will turn down interest from England and spend another season with his current side.
As it stands, any club looking to sign Sane would need to freely negotiate a deal that suits Schalke. But the clause - standing at 35 million euros - will become active in his deal next summer and it would allow Bayern to negotiate personal terms with the player.
The report had claimed that Bayern will ship out Franck Ribery in order to make space for Sane, though Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge suggested recently that both the Frenchman and Arjen Robben are in line for new contracts, as both expire in 2017.
Rummenigge told Kicker: "I do not rule out that both will sign renewals with Bayern. We all know how incredibly important they are, both on and off the pitch. But both will have to be patient for a bit. It is only normal to wait a bit longer with players who are older than 30."
Speaking over his own future at the weekend and the reported interest from Premier League clubs, Sane admitted he'd only consider his future once his involvement with the German national team had ceased this summer.
According to the Express, he said: "Yes you hear about the reports, but I try not to put much attention on it. I try not to think about it.
"I still have a contract with Schalke and I am happy there. The whole season I was focused on just the season and always wanted to help the team. Everything else takes a backseat right now.
"I am here with a goal in mind and that is to be in the final Euro squad. I will make a decision after my time with the national team."
Join the conversation and follow @_scottsaunders on Twitter!