Schalke will have to hold off Premier League interest for Salif Sane
FC Schalke 04 center back Salif Sane has been one of the Bundesliga’s best defensive players over the last few seasons, and clubs around Europe are finally starting to take notice of his ability.
Salif Sane will be out into 2020 with a knee injury he suffered in FC Schalke 04’s 3-2 win over Augsburg, but that hasn’t stopped other notable teams in Europe’s top five leagues from tracking the center back.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, via the Leicester Mercury’s Jordan Blackwell, Leicester City have interest in signing Sane next summer. They have reportedly made a transfer inquiry to Schalke, though they are also intent on signing a new center back before then in the winter as they look to maintain a Champions League spot in the Premier League.
Leicester will have to hold off a second-half charge from Tottenham and new manager Jose Mourinho, but a top-four finish looks likely. The Foxes are known for making smart maneuvers on the transfer market, including purchasing striker Ayoze Perez this summer and selling Harry Maguire to Manchester United for a massive profit.
Sane is a better player than Maguire, but he doesn’t receive as much attention as a Senegal international in the Bundesliga. But fans of German football understand that Sane’s leadership, technique in the tackle, and aerial ability on corners make him one of the world’s better center backs. Above that, Sane is in the prime of his career at 29.
Schalke will do whatever they can to keep Sane, who is important to the team’s success as a leader in their back four. But the Royal Blues aren’t short on talent at center back. Benjamin Stambouli is another great leader at the position, Matija Nastasic is of starting quality, and new signing Ozan Kabak will be one of the world’s best center backs in the future.
dark. Next. Top 5 performances from Schalke's win over Werder
So if Leicester or another Premier League club decide they will spend the necessary cash to acquire Sane, who deserves a big-money move, then Schalke can take the money and use it to build at other positions. Schalke have younger center backs who can start, and while injuries to Sane and Stambouli have highlighted the importance of depth at the position, perhaps Leicester give Die Knappen an offer they cannot refuse.
Between the interest in Sane and Amine Harit, it looks like fans around the world are starting to take notice of the latest world-class talent playing in Gelsenkirchen.