Former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane now looks set to leave Bayern Munich in favour of a move to Galatasaray.
As Vincent Kompany referred to Sane as a “talented player” after being appointed as Bayern boss, it seemed like reuniting with the former City captain would help get the best out of the German.
However, it looks like Bayern Munich are happy to let the two-time Premier League winner depart, as a deal between them and Galatasaray is “almost agreed” according to Fabrizio Romano.
Considering Sane was brilliant for Manchester City and seemed destined to set the world alight at Bayern, the fact that he could be playing his football in Turkey at the age of 29 is a surprise to say the least.
Leroy Sane should have listened to Riyad Mahrez and stayed at Man City
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but considering how Leroy Sane looked set to cement his place as one of the best players in the world at City, he might be regretting his decision to leave City in 2020.
In 2021, Riyad Mahrez told Oui Hustle that Manchester City are as good as it gets for any player, especially considering they have the chance to play under Pep Guardiola: What if I want to go higher? I do not see what is higher [than Manchester City].”
“When you see Guardiola wants you, it’s flattering. The acclimatisation here was not easy but our relationship today, everyone knows [is great].”
However, Sane decided to forge his path at Bayern and while he did experience his highs away from the Etihad Stadium, the four-time Bundesliga winner is yet to become the superstar he could have.
Sane was devastating at Manchester City and from his time at Schalke, it was clear to see that not many young forwards were as gifted as he was.
But as has been the case with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, the grass is seemingly almost never greener after bidding farewell to Pep Guardiola.
While Galatasaray are a massive club with one of the most passionate fanbases in the world, a player of Sane’s ilk could have become a Manchester City legend and won every trophy possible if he had chosen not to depart English football.
But despite Sane being an excellent player, it seems like his career could be remembered as a classic case of unfulfilled potential.
Leroy Sane’s stats at Manchester City compared to Bayern Munich
The stats indicate how much more effective the FA Cup winner was at City in comparison to Bayern.
| STATS | MANCHESTER CITY | BAYERN MUNICH |
| APPEARANCES | 135 | 220 |
| GOALS | 39 | 61 |
| ASSISTS | 44 | 55 |
| G/A PER GAME | 0.61 | 0.48 |
At Manchester City, Sane amassed 39 goals and 44 assists, popping up with 0.61 goal involvements per game.
On the other hand, the Essen-born winger was far less efficient at Bayern, as the ratio at which he provided goal contributions was 0.48 per match, which sums up his gradual decline.
