First it was his ACL now it's COVID-19, there's no doubting someone up there just doesn't want Leroy Sane to leave Manchester City in favour of Bayern Munich.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a glittering four-year career on the sky blue side of Manchester; racking up five major honours and playing a starring role in the CItyzens' back-to-back Premier League triumphs. During City's 'centurions' campaign in 2017/18, Sane also brought home the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
In short, he's a special talent.
Nevertheless, despite the best efforts of a global pandemic to alter the dynamic of the transfer market and significantly reduce the spending power of Europe's elite - including Bayern - it's hard to envisage a world in which Sane isn't strutting his stuff in Bavaria next season.
The German's stay in Manchester is drawing to a close and with Pep Guardiola only willing to grant Sane a bit-part role in City's remaining encounters this term, 90min takes a look at some of the former Schalke starlet's finest moments at the club.
1. Arsenal Arrival
It's fair to say Sane took some time to settle in England following his £46m arrival from Gelsenkirchen in the summer of 2016.
He had missed the start of the campaign with a hamstring issue and had made just a single goal contribution in his first eight Premier League appearances - which, albeit, were often late cameos off the bench.
Against Arsenal just before Christmas, however, Sane officially arrived at the Etihad.
After Theo Walcott had given the Gunners an early lead, Sane equalised for City just after the restart, latching onto David Silva's typically deft lofted pass in behind before coolly finishing past Petr Cech into the bottom corner. Raheem Sterling would go on to grab the winner, and Sane's strike against the Gunners laid the foundations for an impressive second half to the 2016/17 campaign.
2. Finishing the Reds Off in Style
The signs of Sane beginning to evolve into a bit of a phenom were laid bare at the start of the 2017/18 season, with his late show against Liverpool a major indicator of his supreme talent.
With City cruising at 3-0 following a Gabriel Jesus brace and Sadio Mane's sending off, Sane entered the fray just before the hour mark to unleash havoc on a pre-Virgil van Dijk led Red defence. That's right, I'm talking Ragnar Klavan, baby.
The German scored his first with a tidy first-time near post finish after combining with Benjamin Mendy down the left, before emphatically curling home City's fifth in stoppage time from 25 yards out.
It's well worth having a gander at that effort again.
3. Solo Assist
By January 2018, Sane was among the best wingers in the Premier League.
In case Newcastle hadn't previously got the memo, they soon found out just how dangerous he could be when they travelled down to the Etihad. Yes, Sergio Aguero did the damage on the whole - he netted a hat-trick after all - but his third was setup by a wonderful piece of play from Sané.
Taking on approximately 72 Newcastle defenders, the bushy haired speedster beat with them with some sublime ball control and blistering pace. He topped off his run by providing City's greatest marksman with his third of the night.
4. Set-Piece Magic
You just don't save those!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 13, 2018
Leroy Sané with one of the best free-kicks you'll see all season ?
From. Every. Angle. ? pic.twitter.com/4YPXejUB8J
It's not all open play for Sane, he can do it from set-pieces too.
With City trailing in a game in which they needed to win in order to secure passage to the Champions League knockout phases as group winners, Sane stepped up to the plate and delivered the most wonderful of free-kicks.
Hit with such venom but precision, there was nothing Oliver Baumann could do to stop Sane's effort from a good 30 yards from nestling in the top left corner. The 24-year-old would go on to score City's winner in the second half, rounding off a swift transition following a delayed one-two with Sterling.
5. Haunting Schalke
What d'you know? Lightning does strike twice.
This was a spitting image of his strike against Hoffenheim: the technique, the ferocity, the finesse. In fact, this one might've been even better. The ball was always moving away from Ralf Fahrmann, the German shot-stopper had absolutely no chance.
With City down to ten men and at a 2-1 disadvantage to his relegation-threatened previous employers in their round of 16 tie, Sane's moment of magic five minutes from time kickstarted a major turnaround.
Sterling scored the winner in Gelsenkirchen to hand Guardiola's side a 3-2 advantage heading into the second leg and they ran riot at the Etihad, with Sane scoring once more in a 7-0 mauling.
6. Title Momentum Changer
⏪ The Last Time...
— WeAreManCity (@WeAreMCFC) November 10, 2019
? Liverpool
? Premier League
? Etihad Stadium
? 2-1 ?
⚽️ Sergio Aguero (40’)
⚽️ Leroy Sane (72’)
-
⚽️ Firmino (64’)
? John Stones goal line clearance #ManCity pic.twitter.com/Dwb9QDmQqu
Now this... this is the moment in which Leroy Sane's Manchester City career will be remembered.
With a then unbeaten Liverpool outfit heading into the January fixture at the Etihad seven points clear at the top of the table, victory was imperative for the Cityzens.
In what was a frenetic, tense but thrilling encounter; John Stones prevented the most calamitous of own goals by the barest of margins before Aguero gave City the lead in the closing stages of the first half.
Roberto Firmino levelled for the Reds just after the hour mark, but the decisive blow was landed by that man Sane. The wild-haired German received a pass from Sterling who'd drifted infield, while Aguero's movement in behind had occupied Trent Alexander-Arnold, thus freeing up room for Sane to strike and fire home perfectly off the post.
That strike ultimately served as the catalyst for City's imperious run in the second half of the 2018/19 season and their second title on the bounce.
Source : 90min