Super agent offers 24-year-old midfielder to Barcelona

Barcelona came very close to signing Renato Sanches from Ligue 1 outfit LOSC Lille in the summer transfer window. If not for an injury, the Portuguese international could have been plying his trade at Camp Nou, the 24-year-old himself revealed not so long ago.

Having missed out on his signing in the summer, Barça may have been given another chance to sign him up. El Nacional is reporting that Sanches’ agent, Jorge Mendes, has made the Catalans aware of his availability in the ongoing transfer window and offered his services to the club.

The report claims that Lille are in a dire situation financially and need an influx of cash at the earliest. As a result, they are now ready to part ways with the 24-year-old midfielder, who had a key role in their Ligue 1 title-winning campaign last season.

Having demanded a fee of €35 million for him earlier, Les Dogues are now willing to do business for a lower sum as well.

And the opportunity to sign him up for a potential knock-down price is said to appeal to Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who is an admirer of Sanches. Indeed, it is being claimed that the club supremo is tempted by the prospect of snapping up the Lille star’s signing this month itself.

However, the report adds that manager Xavi Hernandez has some doubts over a move for the Portuguese star. While he rates the former Benfica starlet, the 41-year-old is concerned over whether he has the requisite mentality to succeed at a big club, having previously struggled at Bayern Munich.

The 24-year-old has done well to put behind his nightmarish spell in Germany and rebuild his career since joining Lille in 2019. He also performed admirably during Portugal’s short run in the UEFA Euro 2020 last year.

Apart from Xavi’s concerns, Barcelona will also have to deal with financial difficulties in the deal going through. Having gone big on Ferran Torres, they are yet to register him. With Philippe Coutinho the only player to have left the club, more exits will be needed for the Catalan giants to bring in and successfully register more players.