REAL MADRID
Benfica up Renato buy-out fee to 80m in face of Real interest
The 18-year-old midfielder has proved a sensation in Portugal this term, with Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich also after him.
Benfica's teenage revelation Renato Sanches has become a target for La Liga giants Real Madrid. At the age of just 18, the midfielder has taken the Portuguese league by storm this season, sparking interest among a raft of major European clubs.
On top of Madrid, Renato is also being pursued by the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
And with so many suitors eyeing the Portugal Under-19 international, Benfica have twice moved to raise his release clause. First, it went up from 30 million euros to 45 - with his contract also extended until 2021. And as soon as Madrid's interest became apparent, that buy-out figure was in turn increased to 80 million, the highest in the Primeira Liga.
However, Benfica would accept any offer above 60 million for Renato - a price that would constitute the most expensive deal in the history of Portuguese football, eclipsing FC Porto's 55-million-euro sale of Hulk to Russians Zenit St. Petersburg.
Renato made his debut for the 34-time domestic title winners in a 2-2 draw with Astana in the Champions League in November last year. Since then, he has gone on to feature on 18 further occasions, with his side losing just once - against Real's city rivals Atlético in December.
But despite the 2-1 defeat, Renato had Atleti boss Diego Simeone purring post-match: "He's doing very well and is a youngster who's making big progress."