'Main courses will fly around his ears!' - Leroy Sane told he can leave his money at home as Lukas Podolski reveals the treatment Galatasaray's 'new top star' will receive in Turkey

Sane can expect a hero's welcome in Turkey after sealing his move to Galatasaray, complete with free meals and star treatment, claims former German international Podolski. He joked that the ex-Bayern Munich winger can go anywhere without carrying money, as restaurants will roll out the red carpet for what Podolski calls Galatasaray’s "new top star."

Sane did not enjoy the final two years of his career at the Allianz Arena, and eventually decided that the time was right for him to take on a new challenge despite being offered a new deal. Sane appeared set to extend his contract, but caused a stir when he changed his agent and ended up agreeing to join Galatasaray. A crowd of fans met him at the airport to welcome him to Istanbul, and Podolski, who played for Galatasaray from 2015 to 2017, says he is in for even better treatment in his new city.

"Leroy can already prepare himself for leaving his lira at home in the safe if he wants to go out for dinner," Podolski told Sport Bild about his former national team colleague: "As a Gala star, he will be invited everywhere he goes. The main courses will be flying around his ears."

The 40-year-old also claimed that Sane is the biggest arrival in the Super Lig, saying: "Leroy is definitely the king of transfers at Gala. He's not just the new top star there, but in the whole league," he said. "The fans are proud that he's now part of their club. They're grateful for that and will show him.

"Turkey has a reputation for only being able to sign top players when their careers are coming to an end. The league needs to break free from that," he added. "The transfer of Leroy is a good start to bringing in players who still want to achieve a lot in sport – and who are capable of doing so."

Speaking on Sane's reported wage of €12 million, which is almost thrice as much as the next-best earner in Turkey, Podolski opined: "The club has money because it sold its old training ground and has a few million left over. With the money they're currently investing in the team, the club now wants to achieve more than just winning the Super Lig. Something is developing at Galatasaray."

Following Bayern's passage to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup, Sane left the Bundesliga giants and bid goodbye to his team-mates with some warm words. He will link up with his new team-mates in Istanbul later this month for pre-season activities.