Sane sale another indicator towards the desirability of Anfield

Last week Manchester City’s Leroy Sane was finally granted his long-term wish as his move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich was confirmed.

Sane has long been linked with the German side and his £44.7m move brings to an end four years with the club that delivered a pair of Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a brace of League Cup wins.

He will leave City as their most expensive sale eclipsing that of Danilo to Juventus for £27m last summer.

During his stint with City, the 24-year-old was electric and often the bane of Liverpool, bagging four goals against the Merseysiders, including the winner in Liverpool’s only Premier League defeat of the 2018/19 season as Liverpool lost out to the Cityzens by a solitary point.

While losing Sane is a blow that will hit City hard, it is also an indicator of how far Liverpool have come under Jurgen Klopp.

Although the German is far less important to City’s cause than Liverpool’s much-vaunted triumvirate of Salah, Mane and Firmino, his leaving points to the idea that the Etihad is no longer a final destination for elite talent as Anfield takes over that mantle.

In 2009, Xabi Alonso left Liverpool as their record transfer sale as he joined Real Madrid for £31.05 million. Two years later, Fernando Torres smashed this record with his £52.65 million deal to join Premier League rivals, Chelsea.

Torres’ replacement at Liverpool, Luis Suarez, was the next to break the record as he left for Barcelona in the summer of 2014 after winning the Player of the Year accolade. His transfer totalled £73.55 million.

The following season Liverpool lost Raheem Sterling to Manchester as the 20-year-old joined City for a fee of £57.33 million.

Then in January of 2018, Philippe Coutinho’s forced move to Barcelona saw Liverpool recoup £130.5 million for the attacking midfielder.

His sale helped fund the signings of Virgil van Dijk earlier that month and then Alison Becker that summer.

The acquisitions of that pair have seen Liverpool transform into Premier League, Champions League and World Club Cup winners.

Since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival in 2015, Coutinho’s departure is the only high-profile sale as the club have been able to hold onto world-class talents like Alison, van Dijk, Mane, Salah and Firmino with minimal fuss as the now perennial League and European challengers are a much sought after destination.

Of course, the business model between sides is incomparable with City able to look to the likes of Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva in Sane’s absence.

However, the fear that was a staple among Liverpool fans during transfer windows is now a thing of the past with the rumoured acquisition of revered Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara another reason for optimism among the Anfield faithful during the summer months going forward.