Barcelona and Liverpool are reportedly vying for the signature of 24-year-old Portuguese international Renato Sanches.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Renato Sanches is set to become one of the most highly sought-after players in the transfer market following the revelation that Lille are open to selling him. Among the clubs in his pursuit are Barcelona and Liverpool.
Renato Sanches was one regarded as one of the best young players in the world, having broken into the first-team setup at Benfica aged just 18. And after just one season with the Portuguese club’s first-team, the player was signed by Bayern Munich, although his three-year stint with the German giants proved to be a nightmare for him.
Lille ended his Bayern Munich misery in the summer of 2019 and over the last two years, the 24-year-old has gone a long way in resurrecting his career. To date, Sanches has made 61 appearances for Les Dogues, chipping in with five goals and as many assists. His exploits have also earned him a place back in the Portuguese national side while attracting clubs like Barcelona and Liverpool.
In fact, both the aforementioned European bigwigs were hot on his trails in the summer transfer window as well before they chose to not sign a midfielder at all. However, Barcelona and Liverpool have recently been handed a major boost in his pursuit, as Lille president Olivier Letang has revealed that the Ligue 1 champions are open to selling Sanches for the right price.
The interest from Barcelona makes sense as the decision to not sign a midfielder in the summer has left Ronald Koeman short of midfield options, considering he cannot bank on up and coming young prospects like Gavi and Nico Gonzalez in every single game despite the promise they have shown.
In addition, with Sergio Busquets in the twilight of his career and Riqui Puig facing an uncertain future, signing a midfielder should take even more precedence, making the 24-year-old a viable target for Barcelona. Liverpool, on the other hand, have a similar issue despite having two promising young midfielders in Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.
With James Milner approaching the end of his storied career, the Reds will be well served by signing a replacement. To that end, Liverpool have been linked with Aurelien Tchouameni, Nicolo Barella and others, with Sanches an option worth considering as well.
Apart from Barcelona and Liverpool, Juventus are also showing an interest in Renato Sanches and it remains to be seen if any of the three clubs make their move for the Portguese international. For now, what remains certain is that Lille will cash in on him if they receive an attractive enough bid for him.
