Why Manchester City must hold onto Leroy Sane at all costs
Juventus had a busy transfer window this summer but their biggest signing was Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved from Real Madrid to Turin in a mega-money deal. But it seems like signing Ronaldo was just the tip of the iceberg in Juventus’ long-term plans.
According to a recent report from Daily Mail, Juve are planning to sign Manchester City sensation Leroy Sane in the future, who is valued at a staggering £135million.
Sane is an exceptional talent but he was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the summer. He failed to secure a spot in the German World Cup squad, following which, Pep Guardiola dropped him for the first four games of the season.
The Sun had claimed that the Spanish manager wasn’t particularly impressed by Sane’s attitude. But since then, the talented youngster has started three of Manchester City’s games and has contributed with one goal and two assists.
Regardless of what Guardiola feels about the player, one cannot deny his importance for the club. Sane arrived at the Etihad in 2016 after an impressive season with Schalke but could only start 20 games in the Premier League, contributing with 5 goals and 3 assists.
However, it was the 2017/18 season when Sane came of age as City walked away with the league title with a record 100 points. In 32 Premier League appearances last season, he scored 10 goals and assisted 15 more. His tally of assists was bettered only by his teammate Kevin de Bruyne, who had set up 16 goals for his teammates the last term.
He made over 900 passes with an accuracy of 84%, which also included 58 key passes. His pace and trickery were too much to handle for the Premier League defenders, illustrated by the fact that he successfully completed 85 dribbles.
Sane has the ability to play on either wing but Guardiola predominantly utilizes him as a wide left attacker who stretches the opposition defence and creates space for the likes of Sergio Aguero and David Silva to exploit.
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To let go of a mercurial talent like Sane would be one of the worst decisions in the history of football transfers. It is quite understandable that Juventus are looking for a young star who can replace Ronaldo in the longer run but City must not negotiate with the Old Lady at any cost. Sane is a player who is capable of taking the blue half of Manchester to unparalleled heights in the years to come and they must retain him.
