Liverpool fans may have got a little giddy on Saturday evening when Renato Sanches was left out of the Lille squad – but it wasn’t for a transfer reason after all.
The Reds opened their Premier League campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win at Norwich City, but fans are still hoping for new signings before the transfer window ends.
A new midfielder could be a priority given that Georginio Wijnaldum left the club for a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
One of the key names linked over the course of the summer window has been Sanches, who has rebuilt his career with Lille after a tough stint at Bayern Munich.
Mundo Deportivo reported on Wednesday that Liverpool are ‘most likely’ to sign Sanches, overtaking Barcelona in the race for a £33million deal.
Tongues were wagging on Saturday as Sanches wasn’t even in the squad to face Nice on Saturday – and boy did Lille miss him.
Nice ran riot, securing a 4-0 win against last season’s Ligue 1 champions, with boss Jocelyn Gourvennec having to answer questions after the final whistle.
Gourvennec denied that Sanches was left out due to transfer reasons, telling Le Petit Lilois that Sanches has a ‘knee problem’ and more will be known on Monday.
Many will still be sceptical and feel that Sanches will end up leaving Lille, so Liverpool fans would be wise to keep tabs on the Portuguese star’s situation ahead of a possible move to Anfield.
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