According to Sky Sports, Manchester City winger Leroy Sane is still the number one transfer target for German champions Bayern Munich this summer. However, the Bavarian club are reportedly reluctant about making a bid until the player decides his future.
Why doesn’t he fancy a return to the Bundesliga?
The same report claims that Sane is reluctant to return to his homeland to play for Bayern in the Bundesliga. A return to Germany makes sense from the outside. The 23-year-old would likely play regular first-choice football for the dominant force in German football. Bayern are also usually in and around the later stages of the Champions League.
It would seem like a no-brainer for the former Schalke star. Maybe he feels he is happy at Manchester City and still has a chance of playing regular first-team football at the Etihad Stadium next season. Maybe Sane wants to play in Spain or Italy. Who knows the reasons behind the winger’s reported reluctance to return to his homeland.
Not always a regular for Manchester City last season
Despite his obvious talent and also big potential, Sane was not a sure starter for Manchester City last season. He made 46 appearances in all competitions but started only 21 of the Citizens 38 Premier League games. He scored an impressive 16 goals. However, his form dipped towards the end of the campaign.
City Pep Guardiola, who is reportedly a big fan of the winger seemed to snub the German in favour of other players in the season run-in. Sane’s omission from the City starting line-up led to question marks over the winger’s attitude and temperament.
Sane’s poor attitude was believed to be behind his omission from Germany World Cup squad in 2018, despite a stellar campaign the previous season. Whether or not those reports are true is unknown. Only the player and the people around him know about his attitude.
At 23-years-old, Leroy Sane has plenty of talent, but also plenty of room for improvement. He is unlikely to improve if he is not playing regular football, though. It seems that Guardiola is now wavering on the German.
The Catalan boss likes to rotate his squad. However, he tends to keep key players in the team for the majority of games. The fact that Sane played so few games towards the end of the campaign seems to suggest he is not a key player in Guardiola’s eyes.
Looking to mount realistic Champions League challenges
Both Manchester City and Bayern Munich will be looking to mount challenges for the Champions League next season. The Citizens head into next season as one of the favourites to win Europe’s elite competition. Bayern are not quite at the same level as their English counterparts. However, the Bavarians will be hoping to strengthen their squad significantly this summer, with Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi and RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner mooted as alternatives to Sane.
For now, Leroy Sane is a Manchester City player and preparing for next season with the English champions. It would be a slight surprise if Bayern were willing to meet City’s valuation of the winger and he arrived in Munich this summer.
Will Leroy Sane still be plying his trade at Manchester City next season?
