Arsenal to sign Renato Sanches in January

Arsenal are considering a January move for Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, Le 10 Sport claims the Gunners will compete with AC Milan for the midfielders signature in January.

Renato Sanches, 24, was once considered the next big star in European football after winning the Golden Boy award and a transfer fee of £35million move to Bayern Munich.

However, though Sanches hasn’t matched those expectations at Germany, but he’s found his feet at Lille and has got his career back on track after a turbulent few years.

The Gunners are braced for the absence of Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny in January due to African Cup of Nations duty.

This could leave them with just Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles as central midfield options if Granit Xhaka remains sidelined.

Xhaka is currently out until the New Year after a medial knee ligament injury. It is unclear whether he will be fit at the beginning of 2022.

The 24-year-old Portugal international could be available for a lesser fee of £27m instead of £35 million price tag in January considering his contract expires next season.

The Gunners are expected to face stiff competition from AC Milan, who are looking to stir their title chances with a new midfielder.

Renato Sanches is being seen as a long-term replacement for Franck Kessie, who is likely to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer.

Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira has already told Arsenal why they should avoid signing Lille midfielder Renato Sanches.

Speaking to ITV over the summer, the Frenchman said: “He was a big prospect. Last year with Lille, he did really well.
“He wasn’t really consistent during the season but he had some flashes of his talent.”

The Crystal Palace manager has previously warned all potential suitor that the 24-year-old struggled for consistency which Mikel Arteta’s side have successfully avoided in recent months .