Manchester United are reportedly on the brink of sealing a season-long loan for Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches.
The Portugal international is widely expected to leave the Allianz Arena this summer with Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitting the player could leave on loan.
He said, via The Sun: “He is a player who needs to play regularly. So if we feel he is not going to get enough game time, then we will loan him out, or maybe even sell him. Last season, particularly after the winter break, he didn’t get enough appearances. That wasn’t because of the coach, it was because of (Sanches) himself. I can confirm that AC Milan have got in touch with us, but I have the impression that they are not able to meet our financial demands.”
Sanches had attracted interest from Manchester United prior to his move from Benfica, but he nevertheless opted to join Bayern Munich, where had the chance to feature in the Champions League. However, the teenager failed to oust the likes of Xabi Alonso and Arturo Vidal from the starting lineup, and he was restricted to just nine starts – including two in Europe.
The 19-year-old has not quite matched his credentials since his top performance for Portugal at Euro 2016, and a temporary move appears the suitable option for both him as well as the club. Manchester United are keen to add a central midfielder to their squad, and Sanches appears to have emerged as the new option as the move would only cost his salary with a small loan fee.
Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier are the other players on Mourinho’s wishlist but both are unlikely to come on the cheap with a minimum £50m bid required on the table. Manchester United finished a lowly sixth in their league standings last term, and Mourinho will look for a huge improvement in his second season at Old Trafford.