On Sunday, Manchester City will play a well-known opponent, and the entire scenario ought to inspire confidence in Pep Guardiola's transfer policy.
Leroy Sane of Bayern Munich competes during the Bundesliga game between FC Bayern Muenchen and 1. FC Koeln at Allianz Arena on August 22, 2021 in Munich, Germany. (BILD ZEITUNG OUT)
As a member of Bayern Munich, Leroy Sane will take on Manchester City for the first time.
Leroy Sané finally made his long-awaited transfer from Manchester City to Bayern Munich in July 2020, paying an initial £40.9 million.
It brought an end to a year-long controversy involving the German winger and the Bundesliga's top clubs and marked the conclusion of a spectacular but occasionally discouraging career for blue.Fans and commentators alike held the opinion that his flourishing career at City was just getting begun.
Sané, who moved to East Manchester as a youngster, required a year to adjust before he began to truly show the world his skills. As one-third of the lethal Sterling-Agüero-Sané trio, the winger played a significant role in the squad's record-breaking 100-point campaign in 2017–18.
Sané's relationship with Guardiola was evidently not great at that point, and his inconsistent play in the team prevented him from agreeing to a new contract at the Etihad Stadium. The arrival of Riyad Mahrez only served to highlight that point, and it seemed inevitable that he would eventually opt to hunt for a fresh endeavor.
Sané is a fan favorite, but his electric style of play hasn't always been successful in the capital of Germany. At 26 years old, he still has plenty of time to improve under Julian Nagelsmann's guidance. Sané will be seen by City for the first time since his departure during their final preseason match of their US tour, and the pathways taken by both players show that Guardiola is correct about transfers: if a player is unhappy, it is better for everyone if he moves away.
Sané's situation was like that, and City has since won back-to-back Premier League championships. Despite having two Bundesliga championships to his name, the 26-year-old has come under intense pressure from the Bayern board and supporters for his erratic performance.
Serge Gnabry has signed a new three-year agreement, and the German club has also just finalized the transfer of Sadio Mané from Liverpool, making the rivalry for his starting spot more intense than ever.
His experience should serve as evidence to City supporters that, with one unusual exception, Guardiola is knowledgeable enough to recognize the appropriate moment to release a player. The most recent chapters in that tale were the exits of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling, and Gabriel Jesus this summer.
The player causing the most anxiety among the followers on social media is Zinchenko, whose transfer to Arsenal has not yet been formally confirmed. Many people feel that his adaptability will be much missed and that City's decision to let him leave, given the upcoming busy schedule, was a grave error.
They may be correct, but Guardiola has thus far shown no cause to mistrust his approach, as Sané's transfer to Bayern Munich serves as a clear reminder.
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