Manchester United are reportedly still in pursuit of Portugal’s young sensation Renato Sanches after coming dangerously close to landing him last summer. The 19-year-old has been surprisingly unimpressive for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich last season showing no glimpses of his previous self whatsoever and United just might see this as an opportunity to land the midfielder.
United manager Jose Mourinho is desperate for a quality option in the middle of the park after the Portuguese boss experienced helplessness last season despite bringing in Paul Pogba for a mammoth sum. The departure of Morgan Schneiderlin midseason and Michael Carrick’s inconsistent form had left the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager only with Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera.
The towering Belgian midfielder had little impact on United’s game whatsoever as he often cost them some crucial games last season. And while Herrera did play a significant role alongside Pogba to a large extent, a large number of fixtures and their replays that United played last season, it was difficult for him to keep pace.
United cannot afford to run into such a situation again and with just two weeks to go before the season starts, Mourinho is desperate to bring in more variety in his midfield. And Sanches could give him the long-term solution he is seeking for. At 19, the youngster has won more trophies than most popular names in world football.
He was an integral part of Portugal’s Euro 2016 squad following which he made his career’s first big move to Bayern Munich. And although it didn’t turn out quite well at the top most, his young age provides a big chance of improvement for the Benfica academy product. Sanchez could make just 17 appearances for Munich last season, of which 11 were from the bench as he managed just one goal in their whole campaign in all competitions.
And while Carlo Ancelotti should ideally hand him one more chance this season, the arrival of Corentin Tolisso and James Rodriguez pretty much indicates otherwise. There have also been reports that Bayern’s chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has made him available for £43 million.
A central midfielder by nature, Sanches can play equally well on the offence as well as defence. He was also seen playing in the right midfield last season. However, apart from the passing, which he is extremely strong at, the player has failed massively in other duties.
At 176cm, he definitely does not have the tallest of frames in the midfield, but his defensive attributes aren’t very sharp either. And his affinity to go on a dribbling run, despite his unpolished movements also results in him losing the ball often. Sanches might be a hot prospect in Europe at the moment, but definitely not a player suited for the Premier League.
