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Leroy Sane has it all: great pace, excellent ball control and an afro that's uncomparably cool. Still only 20 years old, Sane has the world ahead of him but is in no mood to wait for it to come around. Having excelled in Schalke's academy, he was snapped up by rival Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen but returned to Schalke last summer to give his home fans all he can in the Bundesliga. Plenty of clubs have been linked with signing the enigmatic winger but does he fit into any of their teams? Will he be befitting enough to play in any of their formations and if so, how much of an impact can he have in those clubs. Here's looking at five potential employers who could very well benefit greatly from the talent of Leroy Sane.
#5 Arsenal
Arsenal haven't had a deadly strike force since the days of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. The best they could do now is a Barcelona reject, a Manchester United reject and an Englishman who never lived up to his expectations. Agreed Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott is a deadly combo but is it comparable to the ones that went unbeaten in 2003/2004?
While Olivier Giroud might be a good striker, most would argue that he isn't good enough for a club as big as Arsenal and they might be right. Robin van Persie was the last proper striker Arsene Wenger but in his current squad, Sanchez can be that person and that's where Sane comes in.
Leroy Sane can play either on the wings or in the hole behind the striker. By pushing Alexis up top and Theo on the right, Sane can slot in as an inverted left-winger able to bomb down and cut in – much like what Sanchez is doing right now.
With Sane, Alexis, Theo and Mesut Ozil in the hole, Arsenal could finally strike some fear in the hearts of their opponents. Against Manchester United, their attack looked toothless with Ozil and Alexis having had to do most of the work. Throw in a Sane in that equation and the outcome could've been something else altogether.
#4 Liverpool
Liverpool score goals, no doubt, but the majority of their goals come from the midfield ever since they sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona. The Uruguayan could carry any team in the world on his shoulders and nearly did so two years back nearly winning the Premier League.
Yet with the additions of Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino – who has been phenomenal – Liverpool have not really replaced Luis Suarez. Daniel Sturridge is injured too often, Philippe Coutinho is a wonderfully gifted talent but his best role is in the hole.
Sane, with his pace and unpredictability, is exactly the kind of signing Jurgen Klopp needs to bring into Liverpool. Firstly, he's German, bonus points with Klopp there and the fact that he can cut in from the wings and provide ample support for the likes of Coutinho and Sturridge will greatly help the Kop in search for their first ever Premier League trophy.
#3 Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo was the last Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United had. They tried their luck with Bebe and Nani but both of them didn't contribute anything resembling even a part of what Ronaldo did for Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United.
He is the best inverted-winger the world has seen in a while. He can dribble, he can score, he can cut in with pace and he can scare the crap out of defenders and that's exactly what Leroy Sane could bring to Old Trafford. United have already spent a fortune on Memphis and Anthony Martial and while the latter does look like he could develop into one of the best strikers they've had, Memphis is yet to impress.
Leroy Sane could do to Louis van Gaal what Thierry Henry did to Arsene Wenger, albeit with a little more hair. The flair brings to a side, the unpredictability factor he can create when on the ball is something not many players his age can boast of. For the sake of United, for the sake of all they've been through, they need some panache and Sane can bring back just that.
#2 Bayern Munich
Arguably one of the big guns in Europe, Bayern Munich have had insanely talented inverted wingers for the last couple of years. From Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben to Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman, they have had the luxury of always scaring the bejesus out of opponents with pace, strength, trickery and goals that could fill out a highlight-reel of their own.
Yet Robben and Ribery are getting older and their contribution to the game isn't as much as it used to be. Coman is a wonderful talent, almost as young as Sane himself, but many including Pep Guardiola believe Coman is destined for the striker's position. He has the height and the burst to play on the shoulder and run away when activated.
Sane could very well be the answer Bayern Munich can look to. Carlo Ancelotti had good wingers while at Chelsea, brought in Gareth Bale at Real Madrid and of course, had Cristiano Ronaldo but with Sane, could set up the Bayern team for years to come.
He's German, he knows the Bundesliga and he has a coach who can bring the best out of wingers. What could go wrong? (Except Schalke not deciding to sell him to Bayern, that'd be a bummer)
#1 Real Madrid
Ronaldo plays for Real Madrid, as does Gareth Bale but apart from them, no other wingers or inverted wingers. While Sane jumping to Real Madrid could be a massive leap in the quality and pressure, it is one he can potentially handle if he has a manager who believes in giving youth a chance – especially at a club of Real Madrid's level. (Sorry, Jose)
While Sane – as acknowledged above – might be too young to join Real Madrid right now, in time and with even more experience in the Bundesliga or elsewhere, can really do well in the Liga BBVA. The Spanish league is nowhere as defensive or physical like the Premier League or the Bundesliga and that could play heavily in favour of Sane – especially for the German national team.
We've argued for Sane at Real Madrid but how would the club benefit from having him? Simple, he could very well do to Real what Ronaldo has done. He might not perform at such a consistent level but really, who can? Sane joining Real Madrid would be an incredible addition. It ought to happen soon.
