Liverpool wanted Renato Sanches last summer but were quoted around £33million – now the Lille star is off to Paris Saint-Germain for just £8.5million.
The Reds are always linked with midfielders and last summer was rife with rumours surrounding potential midfield additions.
Georginio Wijnaldum moved on to Paris Saint-Germain, leaving Liverpool on a free transfer at the end of his contract.
Liverpool were linked with many midfielders to potentially replace Wijnaldum, and one of the key names was Sanches.
Liverpool wanted Renato Sanches last summer
Sanches is best remembered by Premier League fans for a dismal loan spell at Swansea City during the 2017-18 season.
Once regarded as a wonderkid at Benfica, Sanches lost his way at Bayern Munich but got back on track at Lille.
Sanches excelled in Ligue 1 with Lille, emerging as one of the top box-to-box midfielders in European football.
That sparked rumours of a move to Liverpool with Mundo Deportivo reporting that Liverpool were his most likely destination in a £33million deal.
Liverpool didn’t bite at that price though and will probably be glad they didn’t.
Liverpool’s midfield was more than good enough without Sanches last season and it’s hard to claim that he would have been an upgrade on what Liverpool already have.
Sanches is now on the verge of his move to a European giant but it’s a far cry from the £33million talked about last summer.
RMC Sport claim that Sanches is set to join Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth around €10million (£8.5million) – around £25million cheaper than the fee rumoured in those Liverpool links.
Luis Campos is PSG’s new director of football and he brought compatriot Sanches to Lille, so this move to PSG does make complete sense.
£8.5million is a bargain for Sanches but Liverpool will feel they made the right call not coughing up the cash as they gear up for a big midfield addition next summer instead.
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