Torn cruciate ligament in right knee, several months break: The injury shock around Leroy Sane shakes the transfer plans of FC Bayern to their foundations. The record champion should postpone a commitment of his favorite player by a year, comments SOCCERSCORE and Goal reporter Kerry Hau.
It would have been almost too nice for Uli Hoeneß if after all the mockery of the past months about his full-bodied transfer announcement in the double pass at Sport1 (“If you knew what we already have for sure”) he had presented a very healthy and ready to play Leroy Sane at FC Bayern.
Instead, the Manchester City wing forward, who had been chosen as the ideal player and hope bearer of an entire club, injured himself in his supposed farewell game as a sky blue. An unfortunate duel with FC Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold severely affected Sane’s right knee. So bad that surgery is inevitable.
On Thursday, City confirmed the bad news that various German and English media had already sent the evening before: cruciate ligament rupture, round-off. At least. What a bitter pill for Sane, who had recently made his way into the national team, to become the new figurehead of German football. And what a bitter pill for the Bavarians.
The record champion had designed all his transfer plans this summer for a commitment from the 23-year-old. Sane had been the object of desire. The man the leadership had fought for with the energetic sports director Hasan Salihamidzic on the front line. With success.
The former Schalker Sane – rumour has it in the training camp at the Tegernsee – tended after long brooding actually more to a return to the Bundesliga than to a stay in the Premier League, in order to ring in together with his national team mate Serge Gnabry and the Frenchman Kingsley Coman the generation change after the farewell of the Munich legends Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
A vision that had made coaches, managers, fans and even large parts of the Bayern team Sane palatable. After all this effort, it would be foolish to call off the transfer for good. Despite his injury, Sane still has the perfect overall package to become one of the great leaders of Munich’s future.
Nevertheless, the record champion should no longer commit the player this summer. The prerequisite for this, of course, would be that, unlike in the case of Callum Hudson-Odoi, a kind of pre-contract be concluded with the left foot about a change next summer. Then Sane would not only be fit, one year before the end of his contract with City he would also be available for far less money than the 120 million euros currently circulated.
For 2019/20, the Bavarians should reschedule and land alternatives that will immediately help the far too thin squad and prepare them for possible outages of the injury-prone Gnabry and Coman. For example, you could borrow Gareth Bale for one season.
The Welshman is on the sidetrack at Real Madrid, searching for a buyer after his failed moves to China and England. If you agree with Real to share Bale’s salary, his commitment would be a charming solution. That Bale has enough quality and experience at the highest level is undisputed after his Champions League successes with the royals. There he was often the man for the decisive moments. One that has been sorely missed by the Bavarians in recent years.
If you would then also hire another wing player like Hakim Ziyech or Steven Bergwijn to relieve the pressure, you would be well enough positioned to compete successfully in three competitions. Even without Sane, which you don’t know how long it will really be missing. Depending on the healing process, a cruciate ligament rupture can also result in a six-month forced pause. It is and remains the ideal solution. But not this summer. Postponed doesn’t mean cancelled.
