BFW Commentary: A year later, Leroy Sane has finally arrived at Bayern Munich

When Bayern Munich had finally procured Leroy Sane from Manchester City, the transfer capped off what had been an 18-month courtship.

The early return on investment, however, was not quite what many fans were hoping for.

Hampered by the dreaded “first season after an ACL tear” stigma, inconsistent offensive form, and a hands-off approach to defending, Sane quickly found himself in Hansi Flick’s doghouse and in the crosshairs of many fans.

But a funny thing happened along the way to this point where he is at today: Before he could rediscover the true depth and energy of his offensive game, Sane had to embrace a willingness to defend — and if there was one major stride that Sane made under Flick, it was just that.

When Flick left, however, it was unclear how Sane would react to new boss Julian Nagelsmann and if the young manager would be able to help Sane rediscover his flair and effectiveness offensively. Well, the early reports are in — after a slight adjustment to where Sane is positioned on the pitch — and the Germany international is earning rave reviews.

Confident, dynamic, and explosive, Sane has now captured what Bayern Munich was always looking for out of him — a stunning offensive player, who will also do the dirty work defensively.

Simply put, a year after they made an acquisition that was billed as a club changing move, the Bavarians are finally getting what they paid for...and boy does it look great.