Manchester United are edging closer to securing Renato Sanches’ signature, but only for a temporary season long loan.
Nearly a year after losing out on Renato Sanches to Bayern Munich, Jose Mourinho & co. are all set to sign the Portuguese international. However, according to The Sun, the Red Devils will have to be content with taking the Portuguese starlet on a season-long loan, for now.
Bayern want to loan out the 19-year-old midfielder, so that he may get more first team minutes and continue his growth. After making a €35 million move to the Allianz Arena from Portuguese giants Benfica last summer, Sanches wasn’t able to make much of an impact at the club.
He was never able to establish himself in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI and spent much of the season behind Thiago Alcantara, Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso. While the latter has retired, the Bavarians have replaced him with Corentin Tolisso and Sebastian Rudy.
Sanches could only make 25 appearances across all competitions last season. He started 9 of those matches and couldn’t score or assist a single goal. So if regular minutes were difficult to come across last season, it will get significantly harder now, given Bayern’s recent acquisitions.
The Bavarians however, aren’t opposed to selling him off. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge,who is the CEO of Bayern Munich recently admitted that Sanches had to play more often at his age to fulfill his potential and refused to rule out a loan move or even a permanent transfer.
“He[Sanches] is a player who needs to play regularly.So if we feel he is not going to get enough game time, then we will loan him out, or maybe even sell him,” said the 61-year-old. “Last season, particularly after the winter break, he didn’t get enough appearances. That wasn’t because of the coach, it was because of himself.”
Untied have been rumoured to be on the hunt for a central midfielder, who can provide Mourinho with better options and the most recent stars to be linked with a move to Old Trafford are Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, PSG’s Marco Verratti and Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier.
While not quite yet a ‘world class’ player, the Portuguese international, who turns 20 next year, has all the potential to be one of the best midfielders on the planet.
The Portuguese international’s seemingly boundless energy, his work rate and physicality should help him fit into the English game with ease. What he needs most right now is a manager willing to put his faith in him so he can get back in confidence and what better manager to do that, than the ‘Special one’.
Mourinho has a reputation of being one of the best ‘man-managers’ around and under his watchful gaze, the former Benfica midfielder could pick up from where he left off and continue his growth as a player.
Even though his best years are still ahead of him, a season at Old Trafford might just be what Sanches needs to revive a stagnating career and make up for a disappointing 16/17 campaign.
