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Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane has named Liverpool as one of the three teams he wants to face in the Champions League next season.
The 26-year-old has plenty of experience playing at Anfield as he spent three seasons at Manchester City. The German international has scored four times in eight appearances against Jurgen Klopp's men.
Sane has yet to find his best form consistently at Bayern, but did score in his team's German Supercup win against RB Leipzig last weekend.
The forward spoke of how 'exhausting' it is to play away at the Merseyside club, as he told The Athletic:
"Liverpool is always a great game, really hard and exhausting. I’d (also) love to play against Real Madrid again, and I would also enjoy meeting City. It would be difficult. But that’s the kind of pressure I’m looking for, it’s the most fun you can have as a player.”
Sane was on the receiving end of a 5-2 aggregate defeat against the Reds when he played for City in 2018.
Bayern have enjoyed an excellent summer in the transfer market despite selling superstar forward Robert Lewandowski. The Bavarians have added Reds legend Sadio Mane to their ranks, as well as Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt and Ajax wonderkid Ryan Gravenberch.
"I don't think that, hand on heart, you could say that Liverpool have got stronger" - Gary Neville
The former Manchester United captain was skeptical about the Reds' chances of catching Pep Guardiola's City this season. Although the six-time European champions broke their transfer record over the summer to sign Benfica superstar Darwin Nunez, they also allowed Sadio Mane to join Bayern Munich.
Neville believes that last season's Premier League runners-up may end up regretting the decision to allow the Senegalese forward to leave, as he told The Overlap YouTube channel (as quoted by The Liverpool Echo):
“If you’re making a prediction now, I’d say that City have got strong. I don't think that, hand on heart, you could say that Liverpool have got stronger because Mane was unbelievable. I don't think that you can say that Liverpool are going to be weaker, but you can definitely say City are going to be equal to last season if not better.”
Liverpool will begin their Premier League campaign against Fulham on Saturday (August 6) at Craven Cottage.
