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Former Bayern Munich wonderkid Renato Sanches appears to be on the radar of Liverpool for the January transfer window. The versatile midfielder has rejuvenated his career at Lille and has been a key part of Christophe Galtier's side this season.
According to Le10Sport, Jurgen Klopp has identified the Portuguese midfielder as his number one target should Georginio Wijnaldum leave Liverpool in January. The Dutch midfielder's contract is up at the end of the season, and he has shown no signs of wanting to extend his stay on Merseyside.
Ronald Koeman's Barcelona were interested in Wijnaldum in the summer, and would be first in line if the midfielder does decide to leave Liverpool in January.
Renato Sanches has had a mixed career so far, including a disastrous stint with Swansea in the Premier League. But the Portugal man seems to have found his feet in Ligue 1, as the former Golden Boy winner has been going from strength to strength on a weekly basis for Lille.
Liverpool will be getting a like-for-like replacement for Wijnaldum, as Sanches has the same qualities and shows the same industry as the Dutchman in midfield.
Wijnaldum would be a huge loss for Liverpool
Losing Wijnaldum would take a huge toll on Liverpool, as the Dutchman has been a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's side. The 30-year-old joined Liverpool from Newcastle in 2016 and has become one of Liverpool's most important players over his tenure.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also seems to be a huge fan of Wijnaldum. Ahead of Liverpool's clash against Brighton last month, the German had this to say about his midfielder:
“I would be happy if he would stay here. I am pretty happy with Gini. You can see that when you see most of the line-ups! He always played good, that’s why he played so many games. And he has played plenty of positions, different positions.”
The box-to-box midfielder fits perfectly in Klopp's Gegenpressing system because of his immense work-rate and stamina. Wijnaldum also has the knack of chipping in with goals sometimes, and he is very good in the air as well.
If Wijnaldum does make a move to Barcelona, replacing him will be a tough ask for Liverpool. There are not many midfielders in the world with his physical and technical prowess.
