Manchester United will reportedly miss out on signing Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches as AC Milan are closing in on a £35 million deal
According to a report by The Sun, AC Milan are set to beat Manchester United in snapping a deal for Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches this summer. The teenager has struggled for regular playing minutes with the Bundesliga champions and is closing in on a deal which would see him move to Milan.
Sanches still has four years left to run on his current deal with Bayern. But, his performances have not been too impressive considering he featured just 25 times for Bayern last term and started only six of in Bundesliga.
The 19-year-old moved to Germany with quite a reputation after playing a starring role in Portugal’s Euro 2016 win. In fact, he was touted as the hottest property in world football last summer.
The youngster has failed to live up to his billing with Bayern Munich though. With players like Xabi Alonso, Arturo Vidal and Thiago Alcantara in the team, Sanches has found regular game time difficult to come by. Additionally, he is yet to record a goal or an assist for the Bavarian giants.
A future with the German club is unlikely to benefit Sanches in any form since the youngster needs to register more minutes in order to gain experience. With the German giants also securing a deal for Corentin Tolisso, Sanches is likely to struggle further.
However, it looks like the player will be on his way to join AC Milan this summer. This could potentially come as a setback for Manchester United since they were following Sanches’s progress for a long time.
Although Jose Mourinho currently has Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick as his options in midfield, the Portuguese boss was keen on Sanches since the youngster could act as a back-up while being moulded into a quality player.
Carrick is in the twilight years of his career while Fellaini is seen as more of a squad player, meaning the sturdy youngster could have proven to be a worthwhile target for Mourinho.
Having said that, AC Milan are more likely to offer the teenage midfielder more opportunities. The Italian club have already brought in Franck Kessie and Lucas Biglia as midfield options, while the other realistic first team players in that area will be Giacomo Bonaventura and the veteran Riccardo Montolivo.
Hence, if Sanches arrives, it is likely to be five midfielders playing for three places in the central midfield, which can help the teenager, should he prove his credentials for the Rossoneri next season.
