Leroy Sane warned he could end up like ex-Chelsea flop after 'underestimating' Galatasaray challenge amid German winger's rough start in Turkey

Sane left Bayern Munich over the summer and arrived in Turkey by signing for defending champions Galatasaray. However, he has been underwhelming in his first two months for his new team. His inconsistency has held him back from nailing down a permanent place in head coach Okan Buruk's starting line-up. The 29-year-old had not been in the starting XI for the last two games and even spent the entire 90 minutes on the bench during the 1-0 victory against Liverpool in the Champions League.

According to former Galatasaray player Erdem, Sane's slow start in Istanbul can be attributed to his physical condition.

"I think he wasn't fit enough and needs to get his head straight first," he said in a Bild podcast. "Gala have now won in the Champions League against Liverpool without Sane. He didn't even play for a minute, which says something." 

He then drew a comparison with Ziyech, adding that the Moroccan was "perhaps not quite as big a name as Sane, but he wasn't fit enough either. [Buruk] let him play five, six, seven, eight games and very quickly they let him go. It just didn't work out."

Ziyech initially moved to Galatasaray on loan from Chelsea in 2023 before joining them on a free transfer. Six months later, however, the contract was terminated by mutual agreement, after which the ex-Ajax man moved to Al-Duhail in Qatar. Since the summer, the once highly sought-after attacking player has even been without a club.

Erdem can well imagine that Sane could face a similarly tough time. "I think Sane has underestimated that a little," Erdem added. "He may think he can get by at Gala without giving 100 per cent, but football isn't like that. No matter where you play, if you're not 100 per cent fit, it can happen very quickly and you're suddenly in the second division. He has to be careful there."

Meanwhile, Sane also made negative headlines off the pitch with a scuffle at the Oktoberfest. However, this did not cause him any further trouble. Quite the contrary. In fact, it seems to have earned him brownie points with the fans.

On social media, Sane, who had recently been viewed critically, was even celebrated by Gala supporters for confronting the young men at the event in Munich after they insulted the Turkish club while mocking him. On his return to his long-time adopted home, Sane had a drink with some former Bayern Munich teammates before getting into a brief scuffle. "Of course, I should have reacted more calmly in that moment and ignored it – I'll take that on board," he admitted afterwards.

Nevertheless, Sane completed a special training session of his own volition, Sport Bild reports. According to the report, the winger returned to the training ground in Istanbul immediately after his trip to Munich, even though the Gala team had actually been given time off. After consulting with the club, he completed three full sessions in order to recommend himself for the tasks ahead after the international break with Gala coach Buruk. Sane himself seems to know that he still has some catching up to do in terms of fitness.

According to Sport Bild, after leaving him out of the starting line-up twice, Buruk explained to Sane in detail in a special meeting why he had recently decided not to play the new signing. One of the issues was that he still had to get used to the routines in Istanbul. Against Liverpool, toughness and defensive stability were also required, which is why Sane can probably hope to return to the XI soon.

According to the report, Gundogan has also made it his mission to get Sane back into top form. The two long-time Germany teammates have been having many conversations. Gundogan is Sane's most important contact. The two already had a close relationship at Manchester City and even lived together in a house in the north-west of England. "I think Ilkay Gundogan will help him a lot because Ilkay is a leader. He'll get there," Erdem said.

Since his transfer from Bayern Munich to Galatasaray on a free transfer, Sane, whose contract runs until 2028, has played nine times for the Turkish side. He has been involved in four goals. However, the attacker has mostly performed poorly, which is why he has recently become the target of the Turkish press and has also raised initial doubts among fans. He was also left out of the World Cup qualifiers twice by national coach Julian Nagelsmann.

This Saturday, Gala will visit city rivals Basaksehir and will be looking to continue their unbeaten run in the Super Lig. They have won seven and drawn one of their last eight games.

Additional reporting by Tim Ursinus.