Manchester City completed the signing of Schalke winger Leroy Sane for 37 million pounds. With interest from European heavyweights Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, City have done well to procure the youngster’s signature. But will he fit in with the Manchester City squad or will he be another Samir Nasri in the making?
We profile the player who has been garnering attention all across Europe.
Background:
Leroy Sane was born in Essen, Germany. Son of former Senegal striker, Souleymane Sane, the winger began his youth career at SG Wattenscheid in 2001. Sane then joined Schalke in 2005, before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2008. Returning to Schalke, the winger made his Bundesliga debut against VFB Stuttgart as a substitute. Sane rose quickly in the Schalke ranks and was soon a regular in the first team, scoring in a 4-3 win against Real Madrid on Champions League debut.
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Sane’s first call up to the German international was for a friendly against France. He has gone on to make 4 appearances for the European giants.
Sane has been extremely impressive in his brief time at Schalke. The winger has contributed with 13 goals and 6 assists in 47 appearances for the club.
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Style of play:
Predominantly used as a right winger, Sane possesses immense pace. He is a strong dribbler and extremely comfortable in possession. The 20 year old left footer also has the ability to unleash vicious strikes from distance. Leroy displays a level of composure, on and off the football, rarely seen in someone so young. He also boasts brilliant ball control, something usually lacking in pacy wingers. His positioning and ability to find open spaces is another weapon in his arsenal. Not only a proven goal scorer, Sane also provides assists for his teammates. Armed with such a skill set, the youngster poses a serious threat to opposition defences.
Role at City:
Sane is expected to be mainly utilised on the right wing, but he can also function as a secondary striker. Brought in as a replacement for Navas, Sane is expected to slot straight into the line up. With Nasri, Sterling and Navas all performing well below par, opportunities beckon for the youngster. His ability to play off the main striker implies that he can be used to provide relief for Sergio Aguero.
With Sane and Sterling on the wings, accompanied by Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, City boast one of the best midfields in the Premier League.
Quotes:
Schalke manager Horst Heldt in 2014 was quoted as saying, "Leroy is a very talented young player able to feature in various attacking positions. He impressed during this year's UEFA Youth League competition for our U19 side and he is already a wanted starlet. Some clubs were interested in him. We are delighted he never had any doubts regarding his future at Schalke."
The German player was also highly praised by new manager, Pep Guardiola. "Leroy Sane is a huge talent and I can only congratulate Germany on having a talent like him” said Guardiola while at Bayern Munich.
Verdict:
Leroy Sane has the potential to be a Manchester City legend. Still young, he has the future ahead of him. With an aging midfield, the responsibility to revitalise the team will be on Sane, and another hot prospect, Raheem Sterling, to provide youth and dynamism to the squad.
