Arsenal interested and Renato Sanches’ is ready for Premier League return
Robin Bairner
- 17 Nov 2021 10:02 GMT
- 3 min read
Renato Sanches has come a long way since his previous stint in the Premier League with Swansea, enjoying a resurgence in his career with Ligue 1 side Lille to such an extent that Arsenal are reportedly interested in him once more.
Indeed, with Wolves seeking to add the midfielder to their Portuguese contingent, there could be an arm wrestle over him in January.
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Sanches’ key career achievement since bursting onto the scene so spectacularly at Euro 2016 has been winning the French title with LOSC, and though some of the magic from that run has been lost amid the club’s financial difficulties, it has helped to repair a reputation that was battered.
After all, the Golden Boy of 2016’s most memorable contribution previously in the Premier League was passing to an advertising boarding, so lamentable were his performances. He was with Swansea on loan from Bayern Munich, where he had also failed to take off.
When Bayern cut him loose to sign for Lille in 2019, his career looked to be heading in entirely the wrong direction – much like the club he was signing for. In France, however, he has excelled.
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Sanches ready for Arsenal
Still only 24 years old, he looked better prepared than ever for a return to the Premier League.
Indeed, Sanches has previously commented that Ligue 1 resembles England’s top flight more than Germany’s.
“It’s very physical and very quick, you have to continually impose yourself,” he explained to Lille’s official website in 2020.
Meanwhile, Sanches has shown himself to be a versatile performer. He has been best for Lille when given a deep-lying role in the heart of the midfield, but he has the quality to play off the right side, though he does not necessarily have the flair and explosiveness of a typical winger.
Instead, he has a strong all-around game that is typically strongest in technical disciplines such as passing and dribbling. Sanches, though, is not short defensively and rated well among his peers in terms of this less glamorous work as Lille won Ligue 1 this season.
As a multifunctional option, he is an excellent player to be able to call upon.
How much will he be sold for?
Renato Sanches was signed by Lille from Bayern Munich for €25 million in 2019.
According to FootballTransfers’ algorithm, which takes into account hundreds of data points as well as external factors such as strength of the selling club and length of contract, he is now worth in the region of €21m.
This puts Renato Sanches in Arsenal’s ballpark based on what they paid for players during the summer, with Lille apparently willing to listen to offers due to their financial problems.
