Pep Guardiola to launch shock bid for former Man City player to rescue season with transfer no-one predicted

Manchester City have been linked with a shock move for a former player which nobody saw coming.

After a wretched run of form saw them fall down the table, things are looking a bit better for Pep Guardiola's side after they recorded back-to-back wins over Leicester City and West Ham and are now just two points off fourth-placed Chelsea.

Still, with plenty of injury problems affecting City, they have been tipped to be fairly active in the January transfer window. A £120 million spending spree was recently mentioned but a surprise report claims the Premier League champions are ready to bring back one of their former players.

City re-signed Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer in the summer but according to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, the Blues are keen on ex winger Leroy Sane.

Sane spent four-years in England, winning back-to-back Premier League titles and the FA Cup and scoring 39 goals in 135 games after signing from Schalke for a fee of £37 million in 2016.

The PFA Young Player of the Year left in 2020 to head back to Germany with Bayern Munich, where he's won three Bundesliga titles.

But he is now in the final six months of his contract at Bayern and is able to speak to foreign clubs about a pre-contract. This season, Sane has made just seven starts in 17 games in the Bundesliga and Champions League under former teammate Vincent Kompany and has five goals to his name in all competitions.

Leroy Sane has interest from Premier League clubs, including ex side Manchester City. Image: Getty

According to the report, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are all keeping tabs on Sane - but City are also monitoring his situation.

The German is still well thought of by City's supporters for the electric wing play he produced at the Etihad Stadium and has gone on record to say that Guardiola helped him "reach a very high level".

The Catalan was seen consoling Sane after City knocked Bayern out of the Champions League in 2023.

Pep Guardiola unsure on January business

Despite rumours persisting, Guardiola has admitted he is unsure of City will bring in any new signings and noted how difficult the market can be in the middle of the season.

"I don't know right now," he said in a recent press conference.

"It's not easy, it will not be easy. Maybe we'll sign, or maybe we don't sign anyone. So I think the club has to be wise, don't do it for doing it, just to add players.

"Of course for the situation that we have and from the perspective of the players that have had consistent injuries for many, many, many times, of course the club has to do it. But I don't know if it will be possible..."