After a miserable few weeks, things are looking a little better for Pep Guardiola’s club after they won back-to-back victories over Leicester City and West Ham and are now just two points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea.
Still, with plenty of injury issues affecting Manchester City, they have been tipped to be quite active in the January transfer window. A spending of £120 million was recently mentioned. Today, there was some surprising news claiming that the Premier League champions are ready to bring back one of their former players.
City re-signed Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer in the summer, but according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, the Blues are keen on the skyrocketing ex-winger Leroy Sane.
Sane spent four years in England, winning back-to-back Premier League titles and the FA Cup, scoring 39 goals in 135 appearances after signing from Schalke for £37 million in 2016.
The PFA Young Player of the Year left in 2020 to return to Germany with Bayern Munich, where he has won three Bundesliga titles.
But he is now in the last six months of his contract at Bayern and can talk to foreign clubs about a pre-contract. This season, Sane has only started seven times in 17 games in the Bundesliga and Champions League under former teammate Vincent Kompany. He has five goals to his name in all competitions.
According to the report, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are all keeping tabs on Sane – but City are also monitoring his situation.
The German is still well-liked by City’s supporters for the electric winger he produced at the Etihad Stadium, and has said that Guardiola helped him “reach a very high level”.
Despite the rumours persisting, Guardiola has admitted that he is unsure whether City will bring in any new signings, noting how difficult the market can be in mid-season.
“I don’t know right now,” he said at a recent press conference.
“It’s not easy, it won’t be easy. Maybe we sign, or maybe we don’t sign any. So I think the club has to be wise, not do it to do it, just to add players.
“Of course for the situation we have and from the perspective of the players who have had regular injuries for many, many, many times, of course the club has to do it. But I don’t know if it will be possible. ..”
