Report: Schalke's Leroy Sane is Manchester City's prime transfer target

Leroy Sane, the teenage phenom taking the Bundesliga by storm at FC Schalke 04, is reportedly being targeted by Manchester City ahead of the January transfer window.

According to Jamie Jackson and Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian, Sane, 19, is City's "prime transfer target," having been monitored by the club over the last two years. However, the Citizens are hoping to pay less than Schalke's €40-million (£32-million) valuation of the youngster.

Furthermore, Txiki Begiristain, City's sporting director, is apparently hoping to complete the transfer in January, but is viewing the summer transfer window as a more realistic completion date.

In July, Sane put pen to paper on two-year contract extension with Schalke, tying him to the club until June 30, 2019. He holds four goals and four assists to his name in the Bundesliga this season, and is a key figure in the German club's Europa League run. His efforts have not gone unnoticed, as he earned his first call-up to Germany's national team in November.

All those accomplishments, though, pale in comparison to what Sane did to Luka Modric's ankles in the 2014-15 Champions League:

Whether City and Schalke can reach a deal over the teenager remains to be seen, but it's worth pointing out that Schalke's €40-million valuation seems somewhat reasonable given Manchester United's signing of Anthony Martial, who joined the Red Devils in a transfer worth an initial £36 million.