Liverpool want Portuguese starlet, a good deal?

Bengaluru, Dec. 24: A transfer rumour that has been surfacing for quite a while now is Renato Sanches could be on his way to Liverpool in January on a deal worth £18 million.

Once dubbed as one of the potential superstars of the future, Renato Sanches has become somewhat a forgotten name following his underwhelming time at Bayern Munich but the Portuguese international has done really well to reignite his career following his move to Ligue 1 side Lille and links with Liverpool suggest that he is on the right track.

The weight of a big move at a very young age can hurt a player's cause badly and that was exactly the case with Sanches at Bayern Munich. He was only 18 years of age when Bayern snapped him up from Benfica for a reported fee of €35 million but he failed to make any kind of impact at the Allianz Arena.

The youngster made only 53 appearances for Bayern during his three years contracted with the Bundesliga giants and also had a disappointing loan spell at Swansea City.

Too much hype and expectations and a failed move to one of the biggest clubs in the world, Sanches eventually became a forgotten name soon after his exit from Bayern Munich but since he joined Lille, things are finally working in favour of the 23-year-old. Sanches is now a key part of Christophe Galtier's Lille side who are leading the Ligue 1 table this season and finished fourth last time out. Sanches has been the lynchpin of the Lille side and looks finally in his way to fulfil his true potential.

With Liverpool facing an uncertain future with their star midfield Georginio Wijnaldum looking likely to not signing a new deal beyond the summer of 2021, the Reds will be in a desperate need to replace the Dutchman who has been the most-used midfielder at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp. And thanks to his technical abilities and dynamism in the middle of the park, Sanches qualifies as one of the very few players who has the ability to replace the Dutch international.

Sanches has everything to flourish in Jurgen Klopp's high-pressing system. He is dynamic, hard-working and has the work ethics to cover every blade of grass of the pitch. The 23-year-old is also a very neat passer of the ball and he also excels when it comes to provide long-range passes to the attackers. And, he is also intelligent enough to know when to be conservative and when to be ambitious with his passing, a trait Wijnaldum also excels at. For a fee of just £18 million, Sanches can be absolute steal by Liverpool. He is still to enter his peak years and still has the potential to become one of the best players in his position in years to come.