Leroy Sane chose to sign Galatasaray because of the intensity of the interest they showed in the Germany international, with speculation having previously linked him to Arsenal.
Sane was named in Bayern Munich’s Club World Cup squad ahead of his contract’s scheduled expiry at the end of the month.
That was said to be a ploy to help convince Sane to stay, while a reunion with former Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta at Arsenal was thought to be the most likely move for the 29-year-old.
But Sane instead arrived in Turkey on Thursday to finalise a move to the Super Lig champions.
He was greeted by jubilant fans at Ataturk Airport, with 1.5 million peopler reported as having tracked his flight to Istanbul.
“The atmosphere here was always amazing. It was very, very loud. That’s why I’m happy to be back,” Sane told Turkish media.
“I can’t wait to play my first game in front of the fans.
“There were many offers. But Galatasaray as a whole impressed me greatly.
“I was very impressed by the atmosphere, by the size of the club, by how much they wanted me, by how much interest they showed in me. That’s why I’m here at Galatasaray.”
Sane scored 13 goals and provided five assists in all competitions in 2024-25. Eleven of his goals were in the Bundesliga as Bayern reclaimed the title from Bayer Leverkusen.
He won four Bundesliga titles, the Club World Cup, two DFL-Supercups and the UEFA Super Cup after joining Bayern from City in July 2020.
Sane will now look to help Galatasaray win a fourth successive Super Lig crown and progress through the league stage of the Champions League.
Galatasaray lost in the play-off round of the Champions League to Young Boys this season. They dropped into the Europa League but were eliminated in the first phase of the knockout round by AZ.
