Rumour Mongering: Liverpool Agree €20M Renato Sanches Transfer

Today brings us Italian chatter about the Portuguese midfielder
at French side Lille. We remain skeptical.

Last week, rumour mongers in France claimed Liverpool were
considering a move for Lille’s 23-year-old Portuguese midfielder
Renato Sanches, with the Reds said to view the one-time phenom as a
potential Gini Wijnaldum replacement.

This week, rumour mongers in Italy are taking it a step further,
claiming a €20M—or about £18.3M—deal has been agreed. For the
record, we’re skeptical of Italian outlets talking about Portuguese
midfielders at French clubs who could move to England.

For what it’s worth, though, MuttoMercatoWeb think Sanches to
Liverpool could totally happen, and the main reason they’re talking
about Sanches to Liverpool is because they’re also keeping an eye
on Reds midfielder Wijnaldum.

In particular, they believe that along with Barcelona, Inter Milan are the veteran Dutch international’s most
likely next destination—either after his contract expires at
Liverpool next summer or perhaps even as soon as January.

On that front, we’re just about as skeptical of the idea
Wijnaldum could realistically move on from Liverpool in January as
we are about Italian outlets talking about Portuguese midfielders
at French clubs who could move to England.

It’s difficult to imagine Wijanldum wanting to leave in the
midst of the current season. It’s equally difficult to imagine that
Liverpool could need whatever pittance they would get back for him
next month with just six months left on his contract.

Still, thinking longer term there are stranger ideas than the
Reds buying a player like Sanches—a player once rated one of the
best youngsters in the game, a potential reclamation project still
just 23 years of age, and available for a relative bargain.

Though then you come back to the part where it’s an Italian
outlet talking about a Portuguese midfielder at a French club they
think could move to England and so, all things considered, it’s
probably safe to assume it’s not going to happen.