Why Mikel Oyarzabal would be a perfect Sane replacement at Man City

According to 90min (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester City are ready to activate the £68m buyout clause of Real Sociedad star Mikel Oyarzabal.

The 22-year old Spaniard is being considered by City as part of a contingency plan in the wake of out of favour winger Leroy Sane’s expected departure to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich next summer.

The Bavarians, who expected to sign the 23-year old Sane in the summer, however, suffered a major setback when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in August.

However, Bayern are still interested in landing the German winger at the Allianz Arena as he nurses his way back after surgery.

Meanwhile, City have found a replacement for Sane in Oyarzabal as he tops their list of players to make an entry into the Etihad next summer.

With a £68m release clause, Oyarzabal has been quite impressive for the fifth-placed Real Sociedad since making his debut five years back.

Primarily a left-winger, Oyarzabal is comfortable on the other flank as well and could at times function as a centre-forward too as per the game’s requirements.

The 6-cap Spain international has already featured in every single game for his club this season, which shows his significance in the side.

With four goals and as many assists to his name, he has been one of the top performers for the Basque side this season.  

At such a young age, Oyarzabal is a proven match-winner and champion, having helped Spain claim the Under-21 European Championship this summer.

He was instrumental in his team’s success, scoring twice and assisting once during the course of the tournament.

A left-footed player, Oyarzabal is not the fastest of wingers around but is blessed with vicious agility, which he capitalizes to the maximum to beat approaching defenders – a trait similar to City’ Bernado Silva.

Known for his deft movements and good shooting abilities, Oyarzabal has a 2.2 shots per game and has been adjudged man of the match three times this season, according to Whoscored.

A consistent player, Oyarzabal has more than 10 goals to his credit in the last two season seasons for the White and Blues.

He scored 13 goals last season and 12 the year before, which further validates his role as a regular in the Sociedad side even at such a young age.

With Sane’s future in doubt and Raheem Sterling attracting interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid, Oyarzabal could be a major candidate to fill the void left vacant by the two City stars.

Verdict

With Oyarzabal’s arrival, City would have a hugely talented youngster who could replace the world-class attackers City already have at their disposal.

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The youngster has a game style that goes in tandem with the philosophy with which Guardiola’s City side functions.

His consistency over a period of five seasons for Sociedad at such a young age makes him one of the most high-profile talented youngsters City could lay their hands on.