After rejecting Liverpool in favour of Manchester City, Leroy Sane reveals that Pep Guardiola advised him to “be free like Lionel Messi.”

Leroy Sane, the former winger of Manchester City, has disclosed his rationale for declining Liverpool’s offer and the manner in which Pep Guardiola granted him the same level of autonomy as Lionel Messi.

Between 2016 and 2020, the Germany international won eight trophies during his four-year tenure at the Etihad.

Sane’s ascent to prominence at Schalke prompted interest from numerous organisations throughout Europe. Nevertheless, Manchester City was able to obtain the signature of the talented winger.

The German, who currently occupies a position at Bayern Munich, has acknowledged that he was in discussions with Jurgen Klopp about a potential transfer to Liverpool.

According to The Mirror, Sane stated in an interview with The Guardian: Sane has also disclosed how Pep Guardiola assisted him in establishing himself at Manchester City.

Additionally, he disclosed that the Spaniard granted him the same level of autonomy as he did to Lionel Messi during his tenure at Barcelona.

The 28-year-old stated that in 135 appearances for Manchester City, Sane tallied 39 goals and provided 43 assists. Since his transfer to the Allianz Arena in 2020, he has been a critical asset to Bayern Munich, with 51 goals and 50 assists in 189 games.

The Liverpool player has identified Lionel Messi as one of his three ideal barbecue visitors.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, the vice-captain of Liverpool, has designated Lionel Messi as the head of the table at his ideal barbecue gathering.

Zidane and Usain Bolt were the other visitors selected by the Englishman, in addition to the Argentine superstar. Alexander-Arnold is no exception to the trend of numerous fellow footballers expressing their admiration for Lionel Messi over the years.

When asked who he would like to invite to his ideal three-man barbecue meet-up, he responded, as reported by Liverpool’s X account: