Leroy Sane has laughed of suggestions that he could move to Manchester United.
The flying Manchester City winger capped off a 6-1 win over Southampton to send the Blues into crucial games against Shakhtar Donetsk – and United – in great shape, two points clear at the top of the league.
But he has had a patchy start to the season, starting on the bench for eight out of the 14 Premier League and Champions League games so far, playing second fiddle to record signing Riyad Mahrez and on-fire Raheem Sterling.
And the fact that he went six games without a start in October cranked up the rumour mill to suggest hat he might turn his back on an expected new contact offer.
Sane’s current deal still has two and a half years to run but City want to tie him to a longer term.
But that did not stop Ladbroke’s odds against him making a cross-town move to the Reds to suddenly tumble last week.
Sane found the notion hilarious, laughing out loud at the suggestion he could defect to Old Trafford.
“That won’t happen! That won’t happen!” he said.
When asked if he meant this year or ever, he replied: “That won’t happen at all. I am really happy here and I’m on the right side!”
And the Germany winger shrugged off the fact that he has been struggling to get regular starts – although he has been in the XI for the last two games and shown the kind of impressive form that made him Young Player of the Year last season.
“I have not been worried at all,” he said. “I know what they want from me and what they expect from me and I will just try to work hard.”
Pep Guardiola has used Sane shrewdly this season, knowing that the 22-year-old responds well to being challenged, and occasionally left out.
But the player says that the fact that City have maintained such a high level, keeping the foot down on the accelerator even when games are won, is down to careful squad-building.
“In our team we have players of good character who always want to win, always hungry, always want to improve, score goals, give assists and have a clean sheet,” he said.
“And we have a coach who keeps telling us we need to improve, improve, make more clean sheets, make less mistakes, and be more careful.
“It makes us so hungry to win the game and to score a lot of goals.”
And he denied that his lack of regular football this season has affected his mood: “I always enjoy myself. To play with these players under this coach is a really good feeling and everyone can see we enjoy it all together, playing with each other.
“It’s fun to play with this team.”