Bayern Munich: Renato Sanches' parting shot to Bundesliga giants
There was little love lost between the Portuguese and his employers as the season wound down with the 2016 Golden Boy saying he wouldn't be back.
Renato Sanches’ career to date has been an odd one. The 2016 Golden Boy and the Young Player of the Tournament as Portugal claimed European Championship glory in France the same year seemed destined for the top when he moved from Benfica to Bayern Munich in a deal worth an initial €35 million, with another €45m on top of that in add-ons.
Suffice it to say Benfica won’t be seeing too much of that second chunk of change after Sanches’ meteoric rise has burned out at the Allianz Arena. A loan to Swansea (he is perhaps the only player in history to have Bayern and the Swans on his CV) did not pan out as expected and he has become a fringe player under Niko Kovac to the extent that Sanches has made it very clear he won’t be back next year.
Sanches on Bayern: "Never again, never again..."
In comments reported by Bild, Sanches apparently told his teammates during half-time of Bayern’s final match of the season against Frankfurt, in which he came on as a first-half injury following an injury to Leon Goretzka minutes; “Thank god for that; only 45 minutes to go and then I’m off on holiday and that’s that. After that never again, never again.”
Curiously, Sanches scored his only Bundesliga goal of the season in what appears to be his final game for Bayern. In the course of two forgettable seasons spent between Bavaria and South Wales, the 21-year-old has racked up just 29 appearances.
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly keen on signing Sanches, who by all accounts will not be difficult to persuade.