Liverpool Transfer News: Leroy Sane Blow Dealt Amid Manchester City Rumours

Schalke have dismissed any chance of selling starlet Leroy Sane this month amid reports Premier League pair Liverpool and Manchester City are among those clubs interested in his services.

Speaking to German daily Recklinghauser Zeitung this week, Miners chairman Clemens Tonnies confirmed his club have decided to keep hold of the nation's fastest-rising talent (h/t ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld):

"We have decided to not sell Leroy. Should anyone be interested in Leroy, it just confirms the outstanding work of our youth academy. But we have decided to not sell Leroy, and the player does not want to leave Schalke. And thus it [a transfer] is not an issue."

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Uersfeld cited a report from German newspaper Bild, which claimed Manchester City are willing to pay €55 million (£40.4 million) to land the 19-year-old.

However, Bild also reported that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was among those looking to poach Sane from his former rivals at the Veltins-Arena (h/t Telegraph).

Tonnies isn't the first senior figure to rule out a January move for Sane, and the player's agent Jurgen Milewski also stated the desire to see his client remain at Schalke, per Bild (h/t Uersfeld's report): "For Leroy, Schalke is the best place. A winter transfer is not an issue, he feels good at Schalke."

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The prodigious winger has become one of the Bundesliga's hottest prospects since making his debut in April 2014, and this season in particular has seen him soar from fringe figure to key component.

Sky Sports' Bundesliga correspondent Alex Chaffer also provided quotes from Schalke chief executive Horst Heldt, who insisted that despite Manchester City's substantial wallet, they can't afford to buy Sane:

Liverpool are struggling for goals this season despite creating the second-highest amount of chances, according to Squawka. However, Sane could be seen as a recruit who would improve the chain of supply.

As well as offering ammunition, the youngster possesses a keen eye for goal when cutting inside himself, as was shown by his nomination as one of BT Sport's best five goals in the first half of the German campaign:

Sane's signature may not be up for grabs this winter, but Liverpool boss Klopp would perhaps look to contend with City next summer in his pursuit of Germany's newest kid on the block.

The last high-profile starlet Schalke produced, Julian Draxler, was long linked with a move to England before switching to Wolfsburg last summer, and the Miners once again look braced to hold out in the long run for Sane.