Highly rated youngster Renato Sanches has been continuously linked with a move to Manchester United. The Portuguese midfielder is just 18 years old and he has already been capturing everyone's attentions with his eye-catching performances.
Many reports claimed that Manchester United already had a deal to get this Portuguese starlet to Old Trafford, however, Benfica denied all these claims saying that they wanted to keep Sanches for the foreseeable future.
After the international break in November 2015, Sanches signed a new contract with Benfica until 2021, with a release clause set at €45 million.
Renato Sanches has quickly become a crucial player for Benfica. Before his debut for the senior side in October, Benfica had only won eight out of their 14 matches in all competitions. However, after his debut, they have won 16 out of the 19 matches he has played in.
Scouts from Old Trafford were present as Benfica thrashed Braga 5-1 with Renato Sanches playing the entire 90 minutes.
Portuguese newspaper A Bola now claims that Manchester United have set aside €50 million for Renato Sanches.
His energy, drive and incisive passing have really helped Benfica reinvigorate their season and he might just be the box-to -box midfielder Manchester United need to change their fortunes.
Van Gaal says Manchester United were lucky to beat Everton
After Manchester United beat Everton 1-0 on a memorable Sunday at Old Trafford when Sir Bobby Charlton was honoured, one would expect manager Louis van Gaal to be happy with the three points. But he was far from satisfied with the win.
Anthony Martial scored the solitary goal to give the Red Devils the win and all three points over the Toffees. The goal was also a historic one as it was the 1,000th Premier League goal scored by Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The result saw United move up to fifth spot with 53 points – one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City. On the other hand, Roberto Martinez’s side remain in the bottom half of the table, albeit with two games in hand.
But when questioned about the victory following the game, Van Gaal praised the goal but also claimed that the side did not play well.
“I think it was more or less a stolen victory,” Van Gaal said on Sky Sports. “We didn’t play so well. It looked like we were not fresh enough, despite the extra days to prepare.
“You do not know how the players are going to come back after the international break.”
“We scored a very good goal I have to say, and I am very happy with the victory,” Van Gaal continued. “But they could have scored two goals so today we were the lucky team
“They played a little bit different than we expected, and we had to change in the second half, and we got better. Still, we have played much better against other teams. The win is the most important thing.”
