Leroy Sane scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga games for Schalke 04 last season © AFP/File / Mehdi Fedouach
London, United Kingdom, Aug 2 – Germany winger Leroy Sane has signed a five-year deal for Manchester City, both the Premier League side and his now former Bundesliga club Schalke 04 confirmed Tuesday.
City tweeted a picture of Sane signing a contract, which is reportedly worth £37m (43m euros), plus add-ons, after he completed the medical examination in Manchester on Monday.
The 20-year-old said the prospect of playing under new City boss Pep Guardiola had helped persuade him to move to Eastlands.
“One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola; he convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress,” Sane told City’s website.
“I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career.
“I followed Pep at Barcelona and at Bayern where he achieved a lot and worked really well with young players.
“I think he can make me a more complete player. I think I will need a bit of time to start with because it’s another league and there’s a different style of play but I think I can adapt very quickly.”
If the £37m fee is confirmed, it will make Sane the most expensive German signing of all time.
“We have given the green light for the transfer. Those in charge of Manchester City behaved professionally at all times. There were difficult, but fair discussions,” said Schalke’s director of sport Christian Heidel.
Sane is a rising star in the Germany squad and has already posed for pictures with City fans in Manchester.
The reported transfer figure seems astronomical given that Sane has made just 47 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 11 goals and creating seven more, since his debut in Germany’s top flight in April 2014.
The fleet-footed forward made the last of his four international appearances for the world champions as a late replacement in last month’s 2-0 defeat to hosts France in the Euro 2016 semi-finals.
Guardiola is confident his new recruit, who scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga games last season, is tailor-made for the unique demands of the Premier League.
“He is a special talent, and an exciting player that I think our supporters will enjoy watching,” Guardiola said.
“He has great technical ability, is comfortable on the ball and there is much to admire about the way he plays football.
“He is fast, enjoys creating chances for others, works hard for the team and scores goals, too. He also has a very positive attitude and will fit in well with our squad.
“At 20, he is still developing as a player but he is already a member of the German national side and I think he will be a fantastic asset to our club.”
Sane’s arrival in Manchester continues former Bayern Munich boss Guardiola’s rebuilding of the City squad following the signings of Nolito, Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
