£22 million Lille star Renato Sanches has emerged as the number one choice to replace Gini Wijnaldum at Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League champions Liverpool, as reported by Le10 Sport.
Judging the Portugal international by his ill-fated spell at Bayern Munich – or that disastrous stint at Swansea City – would be like writing off Fabinho because he struggled as a youngster in Real Madrid’s star-studded squad.
In hindsight, that infamous £35 million switch from Benfica to Bavaria in 2016 was a classic case of ‘too much too soon’ with Sanches immediately drifting to the periphery at the Allianz Arena.
Four years on, however, one of Europe’s most naturally gifted young midfielders has rebuilt his reputation in France, the mercurial midfield maestro at the heart of a Lille team sitting pretty at the top of Ligue 1.
So, with reports suggesting that Sanches could replace Wijnaldum at Anfield in 2021, the 2016 Golden Boy winner deserves the benefit of the doubt.
At the age of 23, Sanches is far more mature than the teenager who rocked up at Bayern Munich amid lofty expectations and an even bigger price-tag.
“Sanches is a fantastic player and will be a key figure for Bayern in the future,” coach Carlo Ancelotti once said of a man who could soon become his neighbour on Merseyside (Mail).
“He has already shown quality and character. He can be amazing and can carry Bayern.”
La Voix du Nord, meanwhile, believe that Lille, who rejected a £63 million offer from an unnamed English club over the summer, may be willing to cash in on Sanches next month due to spiralling debts at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.
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