Liverpool have reportedly added Paris Saint-Germain's Renato Sanches to their list of summer midfield targets.
The Portugal international reignited his career at Lille under Christophe Galtier, winning the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title and linking up with the Frenchman at the Parc des Princes last summer.
Sanches was one of four fresh faces to arrive in the PSG midfield last term, with Vitinha, Carlos Soler and Fabian Ruiz also touching down in the French capital during a busy period of spending.
However, the 25-year-old has endured the least productive debut campaign out of PSG's summer midfield recruits, having been plagued by a series of injury problems once again.
Sanches is contracted to the Ligue 1 champions for another four years, but PSG could entertain offers for the ex-Bayern Munich starlet amid his nightmare first season at the club.
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According to Football Insider, Liverpool could now launch a pursuit for Sanches in the summer window as they scope out alternatives to Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.
The Reds were long considered the favourites to prise Bellingham away from Dortmund, but they are not prepared to pay BVB's £130m asking price and have withdrawn their interest as a result.
Despite his long-running contract with PSG, Sanches would prove to be a far cheaper acquisition, having only cost Les Parisiens £13.3m from Lille in the 2022 summer window.
Just one year later, though, Sanches is supposedly high up PSG's list of players on the chopping block, and Liverpool could pull off a cut-price move if they agree a deal quickly.
Jurgen Klopp is believed to be a long-time admirer of Sanches's qualities and implored Liverpool to make a move for the 25-year-old last summer, but a transfer did not materialise.
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Sanches has only scored two goals in 22 matches for PSG during the current campaign, though, missing a total of 18 games in all tournaments through adductor, hamstring and muscular issues, as well as serious bruising.
The Portuguese, who is currently on the sidelines with a groin injury, has started just five Ligue 1 games in the 2022-23 season and is yet to complete the full 90 in any competition for Galtier's side.
Sanches is alleged to have privately complained to PSG chiefs about his lack of minutes, but it could be another couple of weeks before he recovers from his latest adductor concern.
The former Benfica youngster won Euro 2016 with Portugal as a 19-year-old and was regarded as one of the continent's highest-rated teenage talents, earning a £31m switch to Bayern Munich.
However, Sanches failed to make a name for himself at the Allianz Arena and endured a memorably disastrous loan spell with Swansea City in 2017-18, making 12 Premier League appearances but failing to bank a single goal or assist.
Ben Knapton
