Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing LOSC Lille midfielder Renato Sanches but face stiff competition from Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur.
According to an exclusive report from French outlet Le10 Sport, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur are set to go head-to-head in the race to sign LOSC Lille and Portugal midfield star Renato Sanches in the ongoing transfer window.
Sanches has done brilliantly to get his career back on track after his drop in stature during an ill-fated stint at Bayern Munich. The former Benfica wonderkid has been with Lille for two years now and has re-established himself as a midfielder with top potential, having played a key role in Les Dogues’ surprise Ligue 1 title triumph.
Sanches followed that up with some impressive showings at the UEFA Euro 2020 even though Portugal crashed out of the tournament at the Round of 16 stages. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old’s progress over the past couple of seasons has put him back on the radars of several top clubs across Europe, with Liverpool taking an interest in him, while Barcelona and Tottenham have also emerged as admirers.
That Barcelona are looking for an addition in the middle of the park this summer is no secret. The Catalans are looking to add new blood to the midfield department given as Miralem Pjanic looks to be on his way out just a year after his arrival at Camp Nou, while Carles Alena has departed, whereas Riqui Puig not entirely in favour under Ronald Koeman.
Furthermore, Ilaix Moriba’s contract situation has led to serious interest from Manchester United. His potential exit would leave Barcelona with just Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri as the primary options in midfield. To that end, adding someone like Sanches can be a smart move for the Blaugrana considering his career trajectory is following an upward curve again.
However, Barcelona will likely have to stave off interest from Premier League club Tottenham, who are also intent on signing the 23-year-old Portuguese. The Lilywhites are set for a new era under Nuno Espirito Santo, with the squad likely to undergo a fair bit of restructuring as the former Wolves boss looks to take them back into the top four.
Midfield is an area where Tottenham are not lacking in options, but perhaps do lack a bit of quality with the likes of Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko not exactly convincing in the season gone by. With Tanguy Ndombele blowing hot and cold as well, adding a player of Sanches’ ability could work very well for the north Londoners, who, interestingly, have been linked with Barcelona’s Pjanic as well.
Barcelona’s difficult financial situation could make it a bit more challenging for them to push for a move to sign Sanches, while Tottenham are also said to be keeping their options with Houssem Aouar also a target. It remains to be seen if either of the two clubs end up making a push to sign the Portuguese international this summer.
