The 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder, Renato Sanches, has completed his €15 million (£12.5 million) deal, moving from Lille to PSG, after spending three years at the club that won the Ligue 1 in the 2020/21 season. He becomes their 5th signing for this transfer window after they completed deals for Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Nordi Mukiele, and Hugo Ekitike, who came on loan from Reims.
Renato Sanches had previously worked with Paris Saint Germain’s new manager, Christopher Galtier, at Lille, so coming to PSG wasn’t so much of a hassle. PSG are offloading some of the big names they have in the middle of the park, like Idrissa Gana and Georgino Wijnaldum, as they are looking to support Galtier towards securing the trophy that has continually eluded them, the UEFA Champions League.
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Renato Sanches’ development since moving from Benfica
Renato Sanches graduated from Benfica’s Academy, after which he was impressed with the main team. His performances attracted the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich, with the latter securing his signature for €35 million in 2016. However, he failed to retain a first-team spot in a star-studded Bayern Munich side, and after 53 appearances, he consequently went out on loan to Swansea for the 2017/18 season.
He finally left Germany in August 2019, when Lille prised him from Bayern in a 4-year deal worth €5 million. The following year, he rediscovered his abilities in the midfield and helped Lille win the Ligue 1, 10 years after their last title win in 2011. In all his three years at the club, he made 90 appearances for Lille and scored six times.
Choosing another star-studded team as he did with Bayern in 2016
This summer, Renato Sanches had attracted interest from AC Milan, Manchester United, and his current club, PSG, but the presence of his former coach, Christopher Galtier, and Luis Campos were enough for him to prefer the French champions. Speaking on his transfer, Renato said,
I’m sure that I’ve made the right choice by signing for the club. I chose Paris Saint-Germain because I think that it’s the best project for me. Staying in France was important to me, as I know this league already.
Renato Sanches will feature for PSG in a midfield involving Danilo Perreira, Ander Herrera, Marco Veratti, and new boy Vitinha. When the season starts, we’d see how much of a reasonable investment the €15 million paid for his signature is, or if PSG has made the same mistake Bayern Munich made six years ago.
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