Leroy Sane’s former youth coach at Schalke says the winger is now worth double what Manchester City paid to sign him. Eyebrows were raised when Pep Guardiola agreed to part with £38m to acquire the then untested 19-year-old from the Bundesliga outfit back in 2016.
However, last week he reminded his old club in the Champions League of his prodigious talent, coming on as a late substitute to fire in a stunning 30-yard free-kick prior to Raheem Sterling sealing an impressive 3-2 first-leg comeback victory for 10-man City with a goal in added time. The Manchester giants are confident Sane will agree a new six-year contract before the end of the campaign, with less than two years remaining on his present deal.
Schalke Under-19 coach Norbert Elgert, who helped mentor Sane, is adamant City now have a major asset in their ranks.
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He told Sport Bild: “You could see his huge potential at 16, but there are no guarantees in football. Leroy’s positional play overall and above all in confined spaces has improved significantly. “And because of this he has become more dangerous. Leroy is now twice as expensive today.”
The 23-year-old, who won the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season, has 13 goals and 11 assists so far this term, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich making discreet advances.
