Leroy Sane’s future remains in safe hands regardless of whether he stays at Manchester City or takes on a new challenge back in Germany with Bayern Munich, says Shaun Goater.
Speculation regarding a return to his homeland continues to rage around the 24-year-old winger.
Interest from Bayern first surfaced during the summer of 2019, but was ultimately shelved when Sane suffered a serious knee injury during a Community Shield outing against Liverpool.
He is yet to take in a competitive appearance since then, with the coronavirus lockdown keeping him stuck on the sidelines as he edged towards full fitness.
Getting minutes under his belt is now the top priority for Sane, as he seeks to play his way back into form, however, any game time over the coming weeks will be played out against a backdrop of relentless transfer talk.
Goater hopes City can find a way of keeping a useful creative influence on their books, but believes Sane will flourish wherever he finds himself at the end of the next transfer window.
The former Blues striker told Sky Sports of a long-running saga: “I don’t think he will be worrying about his future because either way he knows his future is in good hands – whether that’s at City or whether that’s at Bayern.
“I think his thing will be to get out there, play his first game and give himself a good solid number of minutes – whatever that is, whether he plays a full game, or 60 minutes, or minutes off the bench, for him to feel assured within himself that he’s back. Only a player knows when you come back, 'yeah I feel like myself'.
“But I have no doubts that he will still have a great career because he is an exceptional player.
“I hope that his future career is at City because I love what he does, what type of player he is. But for him, his mental state will be proving to himself that he is back at his best.”
Sane has taken in 134 appearances for City to date, recording 39 goals and helping them to two Premier League titles and an historic domestic treble in 2019.
He will be hoping to see more minutes in the near future, with Pep Guardiola’s side preparing for a return to action from June 17.