According to a recent report by German publication SportBild, reigning Premier League champions Manchester City could need to prepare themselves for the summer departure of German star Leroy Sané, amid sustained interest from Bundesliga superpower Bayern Munich.
The report suggests that the Bavarian club have held a secret meeting with the player’s agents – LIAN Sports, and that Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has already named Sané as his top target for the upcoming transfer window.
It has been suggested in the report that the German speedster’s current tenure at Manchester City extends till the end of the 2021 season, meaning that Bayern Munich will have to pay a considerable amount for his services this term. The report claims that Salihamidzic has been in contact with the player’s agents for a while now and that the meeting between the two parties occurred sometime in the last week.
How Has Leroy Sane’s Premier League Season Been?
The German international was one of the Citizens’ brightest young stars all through their title-winning campaign last year, and it didn’t come as a massive surprise when Bayern Munich first registered their interest in the speedster in the previous season. He scored some sensational goals in the Premier League as well as in Europe, but this campaign couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start from the German’s perspective.
Although he started the opening game of the season against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield, the winger was only able to stay on the pitch for around 13 minutes. Having done his ACL, the youngster was stretchered off the pitch on that gloomy night in August, and he is yet to return to the first-team fold. Unfortunately for him, despite regaining match-fitness over recent weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has further delayed his return to the European footballing scene.
What Would Leroy Sané Offer City On His Return?
The German is undoubtedly one of the many exciting young prodigies that the football world seems to be filled with at this time. Although Pep Guardiola has questioned the youngster’s attitude and mentality at times, he’s proven on various instances that he can make his feet talk loudest. An able dribbler as well as a composed finisher, Sané could offer an added degree of conviction and efficiency in the final third – something that this Manchester City side have been lacking to a certain extent.
Why Pep Guardiola Shouldn’t Sell Sané In The Summer
With a European ban hanging over their heads, Pep Guardiola will do well to strengthen his squad in any possible manner in the summer. The potential inability to play Champions League football next season could cause a major outflow of players. If their two-year ban is upheld, the number of players wanting to find a way out could be even more. If anything, Pep should be looking to add more firepower to his front-line for next term, let alone think about selling one of their deadliest attacking sources.
