PEP POSITIVE OVER NEW SANE DEAL
GUARDIOLA CONFIDENT GERMAN WING ACE WILL BE LATEST STAR TO AGREE NEW CONTRACT
CITY are hopeful they can tie down Leroy Sane on a new contract.
And Blues boss Pep Guardiola believes the arrival of Riyad Mahrez is pushing the Germany ace to new heights after his superb display against Bournemouth on Saturday.
Sane’s current deal does not run out until 2021, but after bagging the signatures of most of their top stars, City are seeking to add him to the list.
Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne, Ederson, Gabriel Jesus, Nicolas Otamendi, David Silva and Fernandinho have all put pen to paper in the last 13 months.
Sane had a difficult start to the season, his approach doubted by his manager after Germany boss Joachim Low left him out of the World Cup squad.
And with City splashing out a club record £60m to bring in Mahrez, Sane’s chances have been limited – especially with Sterling in top form.
But he has really started to motor in recent weeks and was instrumental in two of City’s three goals against Bournemouth at the weekend.
Guardiola said he is not privy to ongoing talks between the club and Sane’s representatives, but was positive about the outcome.
“I don’t have any info about Leroy,” he said. “The last info I had was that it’s going well but the process is not one day.
“Kevin de Bruyne was one or two days done, and the others took longer but, hopefully, he can stay here for many years.”
Guardiola admits that choosing two from three in-form players in Sterling, Sane and Mahrez is the toughest part of his job, along with other facets of team selection.
“It’s not easy, } many don’t play,” he said. “It’s the toughest period, the toughest situation, you see how he trained and he deserves to play.
“Last season, maybe the most important centre-back was Otamendi, but it is what it is.
“Sane has to play good – and Raheem – the players know. It’s the only way.” Sane is now getting games regularly after being subjected to more tough love from Guardiola, just as he was at the start of last season. The Blues boss was asked whether the birth of the winger’s first child, Rio, in September might be behind his improved form. “I’m pretty sure becoming a father helps in many ways,” said Guardiola. “I think he was incredible last season, he played a lot of games when we had just one left winger, but we’ll see. “I don’t like to see how good they are. There are many games to play and it’s the same as Raheem, I have a feeling they can do better. We are delighted to have him here.” De Bruyne is not ready to return for City at Watford tonight, while there are doubts over Sergio Aguero and Aleks Zinchenko. Aguero has a ‘muscular disruption,’ and Zinchenko took a knock on Saturday.
The last information I had was that it was going well but the process is not one day Pep Guardiola on Leroy Sane’s contract talks