Leroy Sane Q&A with Read Bundesliga’s Tim Lumb
Manchester City have landed another one of their top summer targets, as Leroy Sane has finally signed from Schalke and takes the No.19 shirt.
We got the lowdown on City’s latest addition, quizzing Read Bundesliga’s Tim Lumb on the German youngster.
For those who don’t know much about him, please could you describe a few Sane’s main attributes.
He is fast, and he shows confidence when trying to push forward and through the opponent’s defence. He also isn’t too scared to help defensively, his average of 1.8 tackles per game according to Whoscored was the sixth highest for Schalke last season.
£30m+ is a sizeable fee for such a young player, do you think Sane is worth it?
I feel that he is worth it, but you have to look at the prices that other young stars have cost in the last year. Renato Sanches cost Bayern Munich around £29.6 million at a minimum this summer, and Antony Martial cost Man United around £36 million last year. Compared to what we are seeing, it is becoming a normal fee for very talented teenagers.
If you could liken Sane to another player in world football that doesn’t play for City, who would it be?
I think he has similarities to Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben, in that they are both wingers, fearless at going forward, can score but also know when to give it to someone in a better position.
How long do you think that it will take Sane to adapt to the Premier League?
It may take a bit of time, but I think it depends on how he is used by Guardiola. Even if he ends up struggling at times, we will still see glimpses of what he can do.
Are there any blotches on Sane’s injury record?
Injuries haven’t been a problem for him in his professional career, but he did have a very tough time with form in the middle of the season. He went 12 games between November and March with just one goal and no assists; I worry that the same may happen this season. Although, at 20 years old, it is somewhat understandable.
And finally, just how good do you think that Sane can become?
I think he could become one of the best in the next generation of players coming through the big European league. He has shown that he has the potential to become world class and, of course, he has a manager behind him that has worked with the likes of Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben.