Guardiola reason for Man City switch: Leroy Sane

German midfielder Leroy Sane has said the opportunity to work under coach Pep Guardiola was a major factor in his decision to follow the Spaniard from Bundesliga to the English Premier League.

Sane completed his 37 million pounds ($49 million) move to Manchester City from Schalke on a five-year deal on Monday. Guardiola left German champions Bayern Munich lafter last season and agreed to join Manchester City.

"One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola. He convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress. I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career", he was quoted as saying by dailymail.co.uk on Monday.

"I followed Pep at FC Barcelona and at Bayern Munich where he achieved a lot and worked really well with young players. I think he can make me a more complete player.One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola. He convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress. I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career," Sane said.

Sane, rated as one of Europe's top emerging talents, has made rapid progress since his professional debut in 2014.

He made 42 appearances for his German club last season, scoring nine goals. He also broke into the Germany national side and was a member of their squad at Euro 2016.

The 20-year-old Germany international became City's sixth summer signing under new manager Guardiola.

Guardiola said: "He is a special talent, and an exciting player that I think our supporters will enjoy watching. He has great technical ability, is comfortable on the ball and there is much to admire about the way he plays football. He is fast, enjoys creating chances for others, works hard for the team and scores goals, too. He also has a very positive attitude and will fit in well with our squad."

"At 20, he is still developing as a player but he is already a member of the German national side and I think he will be a fantastic asset to our club. We are very happy he decided to join us " Guardiola added.

--IANS

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