What’s the story?
According to the Sun, Manchester United are planning a swoop for Bayern Munich outcast Renato Sanches, who is on the verge of leaving the Allianz Arena after a disappointing season in which he was forced to warm the bench.
The midfielder, who snubbed the Red Devils before joining Bayern last summer, has been identified by Jose Mourinho as the perfect candidate to partner Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera in the heart of the United midfield
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The ‘Special One’ had spoken highly of Sanches last season. “I arrived late, I signed in May, we started talking a week before, but completely out of the process. If I had arrived earlier, I’d fight for him (Sanches),” Mourinho claimed.
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Sanches joined the Bundesliga champions from Benfica last summer for a reported fee of €35m but has failed to establish himself as a first-team player due to a lack of playing time. The Portuguese managed only 615 minutes in the Bundesliga this season.
With Corentin Tolisso, the club’s new record signing, becoming the latest addition to Bayern’s already star-studded lineup, it will be difficult for the Portuguese to even think of being involved in a better role next season.
Sanches would ideally want more playing time at this stage of his career, considering that he is still developing and is far from a finished product.
The heart of the matter
Mourinho has shown a keen interest in Sanches, who can add a lot of dynamic flair to the United midfield, and has been given a huge boost in his pursuit of the player. Bayern have reportedly cut down their demands by £7.5 million meaning that Sanches will be available for £23 million.
However, the decision truly rests on the player himself, who has to choose between staying in Germany and fighting for his place, or packing his bags to Old Trafford in search of better opportunities.
What’s next?
Sanches is currently representing the Portugal U-21 side in the Euro Championships in Poland after not being picked to represent the senior squad at the Confederations Cup in Russia. He will in all likelihood think of the offer only after returning from international duty
Author’s take
Regular playing time is very important for Sanches at this stage of his career and a move to Manchester United under Mourinho, who is known to bring the best out of his players, could do the youngster a world of good.
