Boss of Belgian team Deceuninck - Quick-Step, Patrick Lefevere has said that he needs another title sponsor to up his budget if he wants to sign Peter Sagan for the 2022 season.
This news comes after it was announced that Deceuninck will not be continuing its sponsorship of the team after three years, whereas Quick-Step has extended for another six.
It has been rumoured for some time that Sagan could be leaving the German squad of Bora-Hansgrohe and now it has been confirmed that there are talks with Lefevere's team.
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Sagan has one of the highest wages of any professional cyclist, so to be able to afford him, Lefevere has said he needs another main sponsor alongside Quick-Step, who are unable to up their budget for the team.
Speaking to Het Laatse Nieuws, Lefevere said: "I am working on a six-year project, and not on my budget for 2022 alone. Those are two things. Quick-Step has now extended.
"It’s important that someone makes the first step. Other sponsors will likely follow now. I hope the results of [Julian] Alaphilippe and [Remco] Evenepoel inspire new sponsors to come on board."
Signing Sagan would also likely entail signing his brother Juraj as well as Maciej Bodnar, Daniel Oss, a press officer, soigneur and his mechanic which, according to Het Laatse Nieuws, all comes to around eight million euros with Sagan himself at five and half million.
"I can’t make eight million magically appear, I also don’t want a team within my team," Lefevere said. "If I want to be able to afford Sagan, I will have to talk to my sponsors again. If they are not ready to add the extra money, I can’t take him.”
Sagan, if signed, will likely fill the gap left by Sam Bennett who is likely returning to Bora-Hansgrohe now that both Sagan and Pascal Ackermann are leaving, with Ackermann rumoured to be going to UAE Team Emirates, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Ciro Scognamiglio.
Lefevere confirmed in Het Nieuwsblad earlier this month that Portuguese star João Almeida is also moving on from the Belgian squad in search for a sole-leadership role, but where is not yet known.
