Etihad Stadium Welcome Leroy Sane

 

You will no doubt have heard Leroy Sane’s name by now, but compared to many of the big-money transfers that dominate the headlines these days, Manchester City’s

imminent new signing is a relative unknown.
Still just 20 years of age and with only 57 appearances for Schalke to his name, Sane doesn’t immediately look like a player worth close to £50million, or at least not on paper.
Many who’ve watched the Germany international play might not be so surprised to see Pep Guardiola break the bank for him, so what’s so special about this expensive young attacker?
Here’s our lowdown on Sane as he reportedly closes in on his big move to the Etihad Stadium…

Who is he?

First up, the basics: Leroy Sane, 20, is a winger who’s been part of the Schalke first-team since the 2014/15 season, though he made his debut in one appearance at the end of the previous campaign.
Now a full Germany international, Sane opted to play for his mother’s country of origin despite growing up in France and having a Senegalese father – who, incidentally, was also a footballer. The former striker, Souleymane Sane, also spent some time playing in Germany for clubs like Freiburg and Nurnberg, as well as winning 55 caps for Senegal.
Born into a sporting family, Sane’s mother, Regina Weber, was also an athlete, representing Germany at the 1984 Olympics as a rhythmic gymnast.
Sane has four caps for Germany, and was part of Joachim Low’s squad for Euro 2016, though he is yet to establish himself as first choice.

What are his characteristics?

Given City spent over £100million on Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne last summer, many will rightly ask if City really need another attacking midfielder.
Still, the stats show Sane is a different style of player, who certainly has the potential to be a bigger goal threat, whilst also offering more work rate off the ball.
Guardiola’s sides are famed for their high-intensity game and strong levels of pressing, so these numbers from Squawka suggests Sane could be an upgrade on Sterling and De Bruyne in that department.
While their goal and assist stats are quite close, there’s a clear difference in Sane’s defensive efforts. And for those worried about how all these top players will fit in together, it seems there could certainly be room for all of them, given the different qualities they offer.

How will Pep fit him in?

One of the most famous and most successful examples will be Philipp Lahm at Bayern Munich, who made the seamless switch to defensive midfield despite an entire career spent at full-back prior to that.
Sane looks like another player with the potential to play almost anywhere. Last season for Schalke he was used mainly as a right-winger, but his defensive attributes above suggest he could probably function in central midfield, perhaps with the view to replacing the ageing Yaya Toure?
Sane has also played on the left and even as a striker, so it’s anyone’s guess as to where Pep feels he needs to play to make the most of his potential.
But it’s becoming easier to see why he’s insisted his new club spend so much money on him…