Liverpool will miss out on signing Renato Sanches because he doesn’t want to play in the Premier League again.
That’s according to 90min who claim that AC Milan are ‘confident’ of signing Sanches as well as Lille teammate Sven Botman.
The report claims that Sanches’ displays at Euro 2020 had caught the interest of Liverpool. But the 24-year-old’s disastrous stint at Swansea City in 2017/18 has put him off returning to play in England.
Botman had also previously been linked to Liverpool (Foot Mercato), most notably as they searched for a centre-back last season. However, more recently those links have cooled.
The Gini replacement
Sanches isn’t the only midfielder to have been heavily linked with a move to Anfield for the coming summer.
But the Portuguese’s is a name that has been featured time and time again in reference to Liverpool looking for a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum.
Whether there is genuine interest from Liverpool is hard to say. Sanches is certainly a gifted player, he has once labelled as ‘irresistable’ by then Bayern Munich teammate Mats Hummels via Sport Bild.
But his injury history has to be a red flag for any potential new employers.
Having only started half of Lille’s Ligue 1 games this season, he was again injured in their most recent game last Friday night. Sanches managed only 25 minutes of a 0-0 draw with Saint Etienne before he had to be taken off.
As well this, his previous spell in the Premier League should act as a warning. Although only 20-years-old at the time, Sanches just couldn’t get to grips with the pace of the game.
He has had plenty of success since then, but the fact remains that it could be a risk to bring him back to that environment.
What about Kessie
If the report from 90min is to be believed, Sanches heads to Milan as a replacement for the outgoing Franck Kessie.
They claim that Barcelona are the favourites to land the Ivorian. But he is another who has been routinely spoken about as a potential signing for Liverpool (Marca).
Until this season where his future is up in the air, Kessie had barely missed a game for Milan in four years. He looks a much more robust proposition than Sanches.
This maybe shouldn’t be right at the top of the list of qualities Liverpool look for in a new signing. But after losing the always available Wijnaldum, Liverpool could do with another player who is constantly fit.
Kessie would appear to fit that bill. But with Barcelona reported to have stolen a march on other interested parties, Liverpool will more than likely have to look elsewhere.
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