Few in the Premier League would have touched Renato Sanchez back in 2018 after his unfortunate loan move to Swansea.
Then just 20, he looked sadly out of his depth at the top table of English football, misplaced easy passes all over the shop and failed to force himself into a team that, let’s face it, was not so good.
But you do not play 35 times for Benfica and earn a £ 35 million move to Bayern Munich before your 17th birthday unless there is a player there somewhere. And given the time to work on his game outside the expected glare coming at Europe’s elite clubs, Sanches has dug deep to find it.
Four years after the transition window that took him to the south coast of Wales, Sanche’s stock has never been higher than it is now. He has just played a key role in overthrowing Paris Saint-Germain’s long-standing dominance of Ligue 1, and Lille are preparing to make money on their astonishing rediscovery of their early potential this summer.
Liverpool are the club most strongly linked to a move for the 23-year-old, and it’s no real surprise, given that they have a Georginio Wijnaldum-shaped hole to fill.
Sanche’s unlimited energy and sublime ball retention skills make him the perfect fit, and if available for around £ 45 million as reported, it would represent a very smart deal from Michael Edwards and co.
The fact that he once failed at Swansea has inevitably been thrown up like a big red cross against a potential deal, but it will not – and should not – contribute to Liverpool’s thinking.
Renato Sanche’s game after numbers against #BEL
93% pass accuracy 83 touch9 passes into the last ⅓8 ball recovers5 passes into the box5 duels won3 take-ons completed2 created chances2 fouls won2 crosses2 shots
Match the best midfielders in the world again. ? pic.twitter.com/4NOrKmBuMI
– Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 27, 2021
After all, it’s a story the Reds have heard before. Mohamed Salah was a Chelsea flop when he came from Roma, and four years later he stands at 125 goals for the club – the 12th most of any player in their history.
Kevin De Bruyne faced similar criticism when he first switched the Premier League to the Bundesliga in 2014. Within two years he was back in England with Man City, and he is now the best midfielder on the planet.
Trickery? Vision ⚡️ Frequency of work
?? Renato Sanches = LOSC’s box-to-box maestro? @Losclive | @ renatosanches35 | #UEL pic.twitter.com/Tg0tx3NUec
– UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) 10 November 2020
You can continue all night, but there is no need.
When you look past a small blip on Sanche’s otherwise formidable career path, it’s pretty clear that he’s exactly what Liverpool need this summer. He is a hungry, up-and-coming young mobile player with the highest experience and resale value; in other words, he is exactly the kind of signing on which Jurgen Klopp’s success at Anfield has been built.
Against that background, the fact that he once fought as a child loaned to a struggling Premier League side fades.
