Manchester United are closing in on Bayern Munich star Renato Sanches… but will have to settle for loan deal.
Jose Mourinho had hoped to land the Portuguese midfielder, 19, last summer but were beaten to a deal by the Bundesliga giants.
The wonderkid shot into the limelight a year ago after his starring role in his country’s incredible Euro 2016 success in France.
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Following his performances, Bayern shelled out £31million to bring him to the Allianz Arena.
But now, he may finally be heading to Manchester United, as the German giants look to loan the midfielder out in order to gain some vital first-team experience.
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hinted Sanches would be let out on loan – or even sold – earlier this week.
He said: “He is a player who needs to play regularly.
“So if we feel he is not going to get enough game time, then we will loan him out, or maybe even sell him.
“Last season, particularly after the winter break, he didn’t get enough appearances.
“That wasn’t because of the coach, it was because of (Sanches) himself.
“I can confirm that AC Milan have got in touch with us, but I have the impression that they are not able to meet our financial demands.”
Sanches mustered just 615 minutes of action in the Bundesliga in the 2016-17 season, making little to no impact in his 17 appearances.
But Mourinho is still hoping to he can get the best out of his fellow Portuguese star.
However, he may need to resort to a simple one-year loan deal in order to get his hands on his man.
United have also been linked with Eric Dier as they look to add to the acquisition of forward Romelu Lukaku.