Barcelona, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been reportedly told that it will cost around €35 million for them to prise away Renato Sanches from LOSC Lille.
According to a report from L’Equipe, as relayed by AS, Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona have all been asked to stump up a transfer fee of around €35 million for LOSC Lille and Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches.
The 23-year-old Sanches has done exceedingly well to resurrect his career over the past two seasons after a torrid spell with Bayern Munich. The central midfielder was one of the key components of the Lille side that pulled off a shock Ligue 1 title win during the 2020/21 campaign, following which he impressed with the Portuguese national team at the UEFA Euro 2020 as well.
As a result, Sanches’ stock has been on the rise, with a number of top clubs across Europe taking note of his fine form. And, as per the report, Barcelona, along with the Premier League duo of Arsenal and Liverpool have already lodged enquiries with Lille for the former SL Benfica prodigy.
Barcelona’s need for a new midfielder stems from the uncertainty surrounding the futures of veteran star Miralem Pjanic, who has struggled since joining last year, and youth prodigy Ilaix Moriba, who finds himself staring at an exit after contract negotiations stalled. Furthermore, Philippe Coutinho also does not have a future at Camp Nou.
With Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets as the primary options at Ronald Koeman’s disposal, another quality player in the midfield department would be a welcome addition, even though Riqui Puig is an option. To that end, Sanches has been linked with a move to Camp Nou for some time now.
As for Liverpool, the need for a new midfielder arises from the departure of Georginio Wijnaldum. The Dutchman left Anfield for Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer on a free transfer, leaving a massive void in the middle of the park. With neither Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain proving to be reliable options, a new central midfielder becomes a necessity for Jurgen Klopp.
A move for Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez has been mooted heavily, but Sanches, too, has been touted as a transfer target for the Reds. They will, however, have to battle fellow Premier League club Arsenal in the race for the 23-year-old Portuguese ace. The Gunners are in need of reinforcements in the middle of the park despite Mikel Arteta confirming that Granit Xhaka will not be leaving.
Mohamed Elneny is a squad player at best, while Joe Willock seems set for an exit. Furthermore, the Gunners also need to fill the vacancy created by Dani Ceballos’ return to Real Madrid after his loan spell, thus making Sanches a viable target. That the Portuguese midfielder can operate in a No. 10 role would also come in handy for the north Londoners as they are in the hunt for a player in the position.
All three clubs have now been informed that it would take a transfer fee of around €35 million to sign him from Lille. Given Barcelona’s financial issues, they are pretty much ruled out of contention, although they are hoping to take Sanches on loan. As for Liverpool and Arsenal, it will be interesting to see if they are willing to shell out that sum to land the Portuguese.
