Liverpool have emerged as new favorites to sign LOSC Lille star midfielder Renato Sanches this summer. Their Premier League rivals Arsenal are also strongly linked with Sanches this month but now the Reds are in the driving seat. La Liga giants Barcelona are also interested in the Portuguese midfielder but there is no official contact from the club due to their financial situation.
The 24-year-old advanced central midfielder arrived at Stade Pierre-Mauroy from Bayern Munich for a transfer fee of £21 million in 2019. He was crucial in Lille’s Ligue 1 title-winning campaign last year with a contribution to 4 goals in just 23 matches. He missed a few weeks on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury at the start of this season but returned in October and has been a regular starter under head coach Jocelyn Gourvennec.
French champions are struggling for consistency this season and lying in 10th position with just 29 points from the opening 20 matches. They are just 5 points behind 4th placed Rennes but they are unlikely to finish this season in the top-four. Renato Sanches has featured in just 12 league matches this season and scores 2 and assisted 1 goal so far which are disappointing numbers for the player of his stature.
Liverpool In Pole Position To Sign Renato Sances:
The El Nacional reports that Liverpool are leading the race for Renato Sanches and are in the advanced negotiation stage with Lille this month. Is also reported that both teams have agreed on a £25 million transfer fee for the Portuguese international and contract talks are set to begin soon.
Liverpool were front-runners for Sanches’ signature in 2016 but Bayern Munich swooped in with a better contract offer. But now Liverpool are in pole position to sign their former key target with no strong interest from Arsenal and Barcelona. Arsenal are in the market for a new central midfielder this month but have opted out Arthur Melo, Yves Bissouma, and Youri Tielemans as key targets to solve their midfield crisis.
Barcelona are also strongly linked with the player but no official approach has been made due to their severe financial condition. The Catalan giants have prioritized a new striker signing this month and looking to sell their key players to make funds available. So Liverpool remain the only realistic target for Renato Sanches if he is willing to move to a bigger club next summer.
Liverpool can offer him a key midfield role but in long-term aspects as Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, and Fabinho are settled midfield trio options for manager Jurgen Klopp. Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, James Milner, Harvey Elliot, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian are also in and out options available at Anfield.