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What’s the news?
According to the reporter Mohamed Bouhafsi, Lille OSC are set to buy Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich. This is what Bouhafsi stated on Twitter:
Just to paraphrase:
It’s done. Renato Sanches to LOSC. He arrives this afternoon to Luchin field in order to pass a medical. The player has agreed to a 5 year contract. Bayern Munich and Lille have struck a deal around 25 million euros including bonuses.
Furthermore, Sanches was spotted in Lille by fans, probably going for a medical:
In case you missed it…
Ever since the young Portuguese midfielder moved to Bayern, he has been unable to get minutes on the pitch. Out of his 53 appearances across 3 seasons, he only started 17 matches.
After his first season at Bayern, he was sent on loan to Swansea City in the Premier League in order to rejuvenate his career. However, this did not go to plan as he only made 15 appearances due to injuries and disappointing performances. If he could not make an impact with a team that was relegated that season, how could he ever make an impact at Bayern?
The lack of action continued for Sanches last season and continues into the 2019-20 season. In Bayern’s opening match against Hertha, the Portugal international made a five-minute cameo towards the end. This seemed to be the last straw as he told reporters:
"Of course I'm disappointed, it's the second time the club has not let me go," Sanches said. "Five minutes is not enough for me."
The heart of the matter
Bayern Munich pried Sanches from his boyhood club, Benfica, for a sum of 35 million euros in 2016. That same year, the midfielder won the Golden Boy award for being the best under-21 player in Europe.
Unfortunately, the Portugal international has suffered a fall from grace. This is evident from the transfer fee, which is €10m less than what they paid for to buy him from Benfica.
This seems to be a good deal for Bayern, who recently acquired Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona to add to their already star-studded midfield options.
What’s next?
Bayern Munich will play their second Bundesliga match of the season against Schalke tomorrow. Meanwhile, Lille will look to win their second Ligue 1 match of the season against Saint Etienne on Wednesday.
Hopefully, Sanches will be able to revive his career at a new club. He is only 22 years of age, so he will have plenty of opportunities to prove why he is such a talented player.
