Arsenal are eyeing up Lille midfielder Renato Sanches if they can’t secure the signing of Leicester City playmaker James Maddison this summer.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that Sanches has emerged as a top alternative if the Gunners can’t lure Maddison to North London.
The report notes that Arsenal have a strong relationship with Lille having signed Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Magalhaes from them in recent transfer windows.
That could help Arsenal in the race for Sanches, who is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur according to Le10 Sport.
Sanches was a top young talent at Benfica but lost his way with Bayern Munich, especially after a dismal loan spell at Swansea City.
The 23-year-old has rebuilt himself with Lille though, and it’s no great surprise that he has found himself on Edu’s radar at Arsenal.
It is something of a surprise to see him touted as an alternative to a pure number 10 though, because Sanches primarily plays in a deeper role at Lille.
Maybe Sanches could adapt to playing higher up the pitch, but WhoScored note that he only played as a number 10 once last season.
That means signing him to play in that advanced role could be something of a risk for Arsenal, gambling on him adapting to a new role rather than signing someone natural in that position.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
