Lille midfielder Renato Sanches has been backed to leave the club in the January transfer window, giving Wolves fresh hope of a deal coming to fruition.
The Lowdown: Sanches linked with Wolves move
Wanderers were linked with a move for the Portugal international last summer, with Bruno Lage eyeing him up as an exciting midfield target. Sanches ended up staying at Lille but his 2021/22 season hasn’t been a memorable one to date for him, with just eight starts to his name in Ligue 1 for the reigning champions.
It increasingly looks as though the 24-year-old’s future lies away from the French club, and a new update may give Wolves fresh confidence of signing him if they still wish to do so. Indeed, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook recently claimed that the Midlanders remain interested in the midfielder.
The Latest: Journalist makes Sanches claim
Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Adam White claimed that Sanches will leave Lille this month, potentially paving the way for a move to Molineux, although he was non-committal as to whether the Old Gold could go back in for the player.
White claimed: “Not to Wolves per se, but there’s been a lot of talk about him leaving. He is expected to leave. Both he and people around him have been making quite a lot of noise about him moving on.”
The Verdict: Worth the risk?
Sanches is a top-class player when he is fit and firing, proving his talent by winning the prestigious European Golden Boy award back in 2016, the same year in which he helped Portugal to European Championship glory. He was also hailed as “terrific” by BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas for his performances at Euro 2020 last summer.
The midfielder’s biggest issue is remaining injury-free, though, with just 38 league starts for Lille in two-and-a-half years at the club amid a string of fitness issues.
With Sanches’ current deal expiring in 2023, Wolves could possibly try and sign him on a cut-price deal – if not, his fitness record means that he probably isn’t worth the risk.
In other news, one Wolves player is reportedly unhappy at the club. Find out who it is here.