Why Bayern Munich Should Not Hesitate to Sign Leroy Sane

A month ago, Bayern Munich's approach to trying to sign Leroy Sane looked to be a settled issue. The Bavarian giants would attempt to convince him to turn down a big-money move to Manchester City and remain at Schalke 04 for another year before moving to the Allianz Arena. Or thus wrote Bild (h/t Manchester Evening News).

It was a sensible plan. Bayern weren't exactly desperate for attacking midfield talent and didn't exactly need Sane for the upcoming season. Paying €50 million or so this summer was always a bit of a reach on a 20-year-old who developed well in 2015-16 but still looked raw at the end of the campaign.

Paying a bit less for a player one year closer to the end of his contract seemed like the right idea. And Bayern had some favorable cards to play in negotiations: In particular, cultural and linguistic familiarity, and the ability to believably guarantee a starting role (as the Bild report claimed) in 2017 with the contracts of aging veterans Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery expiring prior to his arrival.

City were a bit more fickle, and even committing a large sum of money to sign Sane would not guarantee the German a starting role. The Citizens' pursuit of the Schalke man in itself is evidence of this reality, given his similarities with Raheem Sterling.

Yet things have changed in the last month, and it's becoming increasingly evident that Bayern's best bet would be to sign Sane immediately. Robben recently limped off the pitch in the team's first friendly of the preseason, with medical scans later confirming a groin muscle injury. The club announced on their official website that the Dutchman will miss six weeks.

That same evening, Bild (in German) published a report suggesting the Bavarians might be keen to change their plans for Sane. The article cited the player's father telling Sky Sport News HD that Bayern and Real Madrid still stood a chance despite Sane's link to City (the article claimed he had agreed to a four-year contract with the Citizens, who at the time were still in negotiations with Schalke), and added that Bayern had been in talks with the player's agent, Jurgen Milewski.

Robben's injury made a Sane rumor convenient to say the least. True, the Dutchman's injury means he will miss only the preseason and perhaps the beginning of the upcoming campaign. However, it's important to bear in mind that he is 32, and injuries at this point in his career are trickier than they've been in the past.

Moreover, Robben missed the majority of 2015-16 with several muscular injuries, so there is reason to be concerned that he might not be able to provide as he once did even after he returns from his current ailment.

If Sane was intended to be Robben's replacement in 2017, as Bild wrote, the veteran's continually injured state would make the Schalke man the right purchase a year earlier.

That's the simple view of why Bayern would be wise to sign Sane, but there is more under the surface.

The last month has not only changed Robben's situation, but Thomas Muller's as well. The Germany international was dreadful at Euro 2016 and showed clear signs of fatigue. It began later in the club season and progressed throughout the tournament.

With a shortened summer break, Muller might not be ready to play every minute of every game—or anything close to it. The same goes for Robert Lewandowski, whose Euro campaign with Poland was a bit shorter, but who also seemed to suffer from substantial fatigue.

And although he did not play as much, Kingsley Coman trained with France until the final and will have enjoyed a limited break as well. Bayern may need more depth than they'd anticipated next season in their attacking midfield.

The other big factor that would make Bayern wise to take action quickly is the precedent set in Kevin De Bruyne's transfer from Wolfsburg to City last summer.

In that instance, the German champions' stance was similar to theirs now with Sane: Their plan was to wait another year to sign the player. That way, Wolfsburg would have had access to their superstar for another season, with Bayern benefiting from a reduced transfer fee. Or so Mark Ogden reported for the Telegraph last August.

In that instance, Wolfsburg opted to sell De Bruyne while his value was at its peak, and not to a rival Bundesliga club. And although the Belgian's agent Patrick De Koster admitted that to SportFootMagazine (h/t Sky Sports) his client had agreed to a move to Munich, the player ultimately moved to City. Sane's transfer saga could well take a similar path.

Right now, it appears that City are dragging their feet in Sane negotiations, with the transfer fee being the only thing preventing a move for the time being.

Bayern's situation has changed in the last month or so, and they really could use a player of the 20-year-old's qualities. If they move fast, they could pip City to signing Sane just as the Citizens did to them in acquiring De Bruyne.

@Mr_Bundesliga