Schalke’s director of sport Horst Heldt has confirmed Liverpool’s interest in Germany Under-21 forward Leroy Sane and revealed the Premier League side submitted a bumper offer before the season.
“There are already one or two big-name clubs who have expressed interest. Liverpool were ready to pay for him,” said Heldt.
According to magazine Sport Bild, Liverpool offered €15 million (Dh61.5m) for the teenager who has scored in each of Schalke's last three games and has a contract until 2019.
“The offer didn’t interest us or the player,” Heldt said.
The son of ex-Senegal international Souleyman Sane has made waves in the Bundesliga with a series of eye-catching performances off the bench and he scored a superb goal at Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League last season.
He was part of the Schalke team that won the Under-19 German league title and made his Bundesliga debut for the senior team in 2014.
He scored the winning goal in Schalke’s 1-0 victory over Hamburg last weekend which left the Royal Blues third in the table.
“From the potential he is showing, Leroy has a big career ahead of him and is on the right path,” Schalke coach Andre Breitenreiter said.
Sane, who can play as a striker or winger, was already being courted by Europe’s top teams as a 17-year-old when Ajax made a 5m offer for him.
Having sold Germany international Julian Draxler to Wolfsburg before the last transfer window closed, it looks like the Royal Blues face a battle to keep another one of their rising stars.
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