Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has described Leroy Sane as the best wide player ‘in the world’ ahead of their League Cup final meeting with Chelsea.
The 23-year-old German international has become an integral fixture under Guardiola since he took charge at the Etihad Stadium and is once again enjoying a productive campaign.
How good has Sane been for City? Five key things to know…
- Signed from Schalke 04 for a reported £37m in 2016.
- Sane clinched the PFA Young Player of the Year last season and was just one assist off winning the Premier League Playmaker of the Season.
- The German has continued to impress this campaign, leading Gary Neville to describe him as his worst nightmare were he still playing.
- Sane scored a wonder strike against his former club Schalke in the Champions League on Wednesday.
- Only Sergio Aguero (105) and Raheem Sterling (100) have been involved in more City goals under Pep Guardiola than Sane (77).
Sane joined City in 2016 from boyhood club Schalke 04 – who count the likes of Manuel Neuer, Julian Draxler and Mesut Ozil as former academy graduates – after making 57 first-team appearances in which he registered 13 goals and eight assists.
His arrival coincided with Guardiola’s appointment with both immediately striking up a rapport. However, playing time hasn’t always been guaranteed, with Sane, in the first year, effectively playing a squad role.
It would soon change during the 2017/18 season as the Essen-born winger found himself lining up alongside Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero as part of City’s lethal attack.
The absence of Benjamin Mendy, due to a serious knee injury, was cited as one of the major reasons for the switch as Guardiola would like the French wing-back to have the entire left flank to himself, meaning Sane would be at best on the bench.
But whenever he’s played, Sane has not let his teammates down with comparisons recently drawn between him and a young Ryan Giggs, illustrating how highly thought of he is. Guardiola has used him sporadically recently, having sat out the recent big wins over Arsenal (3-1) and Chelsea (6-0) at home, and when the possibility of playing him through the middle was put forward to Guardiola he made his opinion very clear.
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“He’s not ready to play in the middle now, you have to be so good to control the spaces. Maybe in the future,” he told reporters.
“Sane is the best in the world playing out wide. I’d prefer to use him where he is strongest, he’s an incredible player. I’m not saying he can’t (play in middle) but at the moment we have better players to do that job.”
Sane’s role ahead
Manchester City are currently embarking on winning four pieces of silverware – making them the first English team to complete the quadruple.
Guardiola’s men lead the Premier League, albeit on goal-difference with Liverpool having a game in hand, whilst remain active in both domestic competitions – an FA Cup quarter-final date awaits at Swansea City after this weekend’s League Cup final against Chelsea – and Champions League.
Although he’s sat out two of City’s last three league fixtures, as well as starting their Champions League round-of-16 first leg away to former club Schalke 04 on the bench, Sane is expected to play a key role in Guardiola’s quest.
So far this season Sane has been used on no fewer than 33 occasions in all competitions. He’s repaid his manager’s trust by registering 13 goals and creating a further 14 for his teammates.
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