Liverpool have been tipped to beat the competition to the signing of Lille midfielder Renato Sanches this summer.
The Reds could be set to beat Barcelona and Juventus to the Portuguese 23-year-old as Jurgen Klopp seeks a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum.
Several players have been linked with a move to Anfield to fill the void left behind by the new Paris Saint-Germain man, but Sanches could be the chosen one.
That’s according to a report from Mundo Deportivo, as cited by Liverpool FC News on Twitter.
Twitter: Liverpool lead race to sign Renato Sanches, it has been claimed
The latest #LFC transfer rumours from
… https://t.co/BB3smqXXzS (@LivEchoLFC)
The report claims that the Ligue 1 club are ready to cash in on the 30 times capped star and Liverpool could swoop as Barca reel from the ongoing Lionel Messi saga.
A fee of around £33.8million is expected to be sufficient for the French outfit to part ways with Sanches, who was hailed as ‘terrific’ by Jermain Jenas during Euro 2020.
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Despite the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Harvey Elliott making great strides forwards during pre-season, replacing Wijnaldum’s durability in midfield is crucial.
Although Sanches’ overall injury record is less than impressive, at 23 there will be hope the Portuguese ace is simply working out issues before enjoying a long and prosperous career.
It’s unlikely any additional option would need to play as many as the 51 games the departed Dutchman managed, with Thiago, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho likely to be the first choice trio.
Valued at £27million and under contract until 2023 (Transfermarkt), signing the combative midfielder for the mooted fee would represent smart value for money.
