German international duo of Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane made moves from Borussia Dortmund and Schalke FC respectively, to Manchester City for huge deals in the summer transfer window of 2016. However, so far they have enjoyed contrasting fortunes on the pitch under Pep Guardiola.
Arriving in Manchester with a bad knee ligament injury at the time, Gundogan has gone on to revive his career at the Citizens, settling in very well under Guardiola. His counterpart Sane, who made a move from Schalke FC to Manchester City for £42m in the summer has failed to live up to the price tag, though, featuring rarely in Guardiola’s starting eleven.
Sane made his first start for City, in the EFL Cup tie against neighbours United in the Manchester derby which ended in a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford. The German youngster failed to catch the eye of manager Pep Guardiola in the 60 minutes he played and was substituted following his ineffective display.
In a recent interview with Kicker, Gundogan heaped praises on his compatriot Sane, claiming the youngster has all the attributes to not only become a great player but a Manchester City and German legend. The £42million move in the summer made Sane one of the most important transfer arrivals into the Premier League.
Gundogan believes the transitional period in moving from one club to another can take a while for a player to adapt to, claiming, once the process of settling into the new regime is complete, the player can be at his very best.
“It is only normal that Leroy is still finding his feet at Manchester City,” Gundogan told Kicker. “I think Leroy has the character and personality to cope with this situation. He is confident and is well aware of his own qualities.
“You can see that he is still a bit shy, but he is still only 20. I went through a similar situation when I joined Dortmund from Nurnberg, so I know how he feels. He will do his own thing, and he will do so here at Manchester City as well. I am giving him all the support he needs.”
Having made just four starts all campaign this season, Sane and City next travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace, post the international break where they will look to get back to winning ways.
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