Manchester City Transfer News: Juventus Reportedly Eye Long-Term Leroy Sane Move

Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli is reportedly willing to play the long game in pursuit of Manchester City winger Leroy Sane as he hopes to bring the club their own "young Cristiano Ronaldo."

After signing Ronaldo from Real Madrid for £100 million this past summer, Juventus are said to believe Sane could be a star of the next generation and will wait two or even three years to sign him, per Calciomercato.com.

According to the report, Juve accept that Kylian Mbappe may be out of their reach but see Sane as a more realistic target. And although a move is not financially feasible, the Bianconeri will lay the groundwork to conclude a deal in the future.

Speculation has risen at the Etihad Stadium of late too, after Sane played just 30 minutes in City's opening four Premier League matches this season. However, it didn't take him long to make an impact against Fulham on Sept. 15:

Murmurs over Sane's attitude have escalated in recent months, and Calciomercato mentioned Juventus may seek to capitalise on any "minor friction" he's had with Pep Guardiola.

Except City's boss has himself moved to dissuade any talk of tension between the two after standing up to defend Sane's character in a recent press conference, via ESPN FC:

Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, spoke to Sport after his client's move to Turin this summer and indicated the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will retire once his contract expires in 2022 (h/t MailOnline's Robert Summerscales):

"I'm very happy for Cristiano. Juventus will be his last club, and I'm glad he made this decision. With this team he'll close out his marvellous career.

"I thank Andrea Agnelli in particular for his determination and his willingness to negotiate with Real Madrid.

"And I also thank [Juventus general manager] Beppe Marotta for his professionalism."

At that point the Portuguese would be 37 and likely ready to step aside for the likes of Sane and Mbappe to take a greater share of football's spotlight. And much of the landscape between City, Sane and Juventus could change between now and then.

Former Schalke starlet Sane at least appears to be enjoying his football in Manchester. At 22, he's already won the Premier League and was named PFA Young Player of the Year last season. 

What's more, Sane has made the most of his time on the pitch despite stiff competition for a place on the City wings and has elite company in the Premier League's creative ranks, per Squawka:

Juventus do have a talented array of wide talents, with Douglas Costa, Juan Cuadrado and Federico Bernardeschi flanking Ronaldo, while Paulo Dybala can also play that role if required.

Juve are said to be aware it would cost them in excess of €150 million (£135 million) to sign Sane, but their plans to get ahead in the race for a future superstar could save them money in the long run.