The Catalans are hopeful that they can sell some of their players and free up funds to sign LOSC Lille’s Renato Sanches.
The Benfica academy graduate made his name at the 2016 Euro guiding Portugal to the title. He was impressive at such a tender age and showed great maturity and calmness on the ball.
However, following his move to Bayern Munich in July 2016, things went south for the youngster. Sanches failed to cement his place in a star-studded midfield. The final nail on the coffin for him was when Carlo Ancelotti sanctioned a loan move to Swansea City in the Premier League.
The Portugal international had a horrible time at Liberty Stadium. His return to Munich saw him deliver some decent performances but then he struggled with injuries and was never consistent.
Renato saw his stock rise last season when he redeemed himself and helped LOSC Lille to win the Ligue 1 title. The 23-year-old then followed it up with a very impressive Euros 2020. Even when Portugal lost against Belgium in the RO16 clash, Sanches was probably one of the better players for Fernando Santos’ men.
While reports suggest Ronald Koeman’s interest in the youngster, Barca must first look to slash the huge wage bill. They have not yet registered Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal, who joined the club this summer. The Catalans are looking to ship Antoine Greizmann back to Atletico Madrid, which will see the wage bill go down a lot.
According to several reports, Lille has slapped a £30million price tag on the dynamic midfielder. A direct transfer may be difficult for the Blaugrana as they are cash strapped this summer. However, Diario AS reports that the Catalans may negotiate a loan deal with an option to buy him in the following season.
However, another stumbling block for the Catalans is the interest from Premier League. Both Liverpool and Tottenham are also linked with the energetic midfielder. Jurgen Klopp feels that Sanches will be an ideal replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who left Anfield for Paris Saint-German after the expiry of his contract.
So only time will tell if the Portuguese midfielder finds himself in the Premier League or in the La Liga.
