Barcelona ‘eye move for Lille star Renato Sanches’… but will struggle to finance a deal amid financial crisis that leaves them needing to knock £156m off their wage bill
- Barcelona are interested in a move for Lille star Renato Sanches this summer
- The Portugal midfielder helped Lille beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title last season
- He excelled on the international stage with Portugal at Euro 2020 this summer
- Barcelona will have to fend off interest from Premier League giants Liverpool
Barcelona are eyeing a move for Lille star Renato Sanches after an impressive Euro 2020 campaign with Portugal, according to Le10Sport.
The 23-year-old caught the LaLiga gaints’ attention after excelling on the international stage alongside Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.
However, Barcelona will have to fend off interest from the likes of Liverpool to secure the midfielder’s signature.
Barcelona are interested in a move for Lille star Renato Sanches (above) this summer
Sanches rebuilt his career in France after leaving Bayern Munich in 2019 following a disastrous loan spell with Swansea in the 2017-2018 campaign.
He went on to play an important part in Lille’s shock Ligue 1 title win last season and excelled on the European stage at this summer’s Championship.
As a result, Lille are eager to cash in on their star player – who has also attracted interest from Premier League giants Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp is looking to sign Sanches in a bid to strength his midfield following Georginio Wijnaldum’s move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Portugal midfielder helped Lille beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title last season (above)
The 23-year-old excelled on the international stage with Portugal at Euro 2020 this summer
Nevertheless, whoever signs Sanches will have to pay a premium price as the French side have a reputation of selling on their best players for big fees with the Gunners paying £72million for Pepe and £27m for Gabriel.
This could be a stumbling block for Barcelona due to the current financial crisis at the club.
Barcelona have landed in a difficult spot after exceeding LaLiga’s strict salary limit by a 40 per cent.
According to Catalan radio RAC 1, Barcelona’s limit was £296m (€347m) last year and now it’s £136m (€160m).
Lille are now said to be open to cashing in on the popular 23-year-old (right) this summer
However, they will have to fend off interest from Premier League giants Liverpool
Therefore, the Catalan giants need to wipe 187m euros off their existing wage bill to be within an acceptable bracket.
This could prevent them from making a move on Sanches – who beat the likes of Marcus Rashford, Kingsley Coman and Ousmane Dembele to win the European Golden Boy award in 2017.
Nevertheless, Barcelona will reportedly explore the option of tabling an offer for the 23-year-old.
