Paris Saint-Germain

Renato Sanches 'complains to Paris Saint-Germain over lack of game time'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 11 April 2023

Renato Sanches 'complains to PSG over lack of game time'

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Renato Sanches reportedly complains to the club about his lack of starts during an injury-disrupted season.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Renato Sanches has allegedly complained about his lack of playing time to the club amid his troubled first season in the French capital.

The Portugal international departed Lille last summer to follow Christophe Galtier to PSG, having won the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title under the Frenchman.

Injuries have bedevilled Sanches throughout his career, though, with many feeling that the 25-year-old has failed to live up to the potential he showed at Benfica.

The 2022-23 season has been no different for Sanches regarding fitness woes, as he has been restricted to just 22 appearances for PSG across all competitions, scoring twice.

Adductor problems, bruises and a recent hamstring injury have all hampered Sanches's playing time, and he has already missed 16 matches for the French champions in his debut campaign.

Renato Sanches warms up for Paris Saint-Germain in March 2023 © Reuters

From his 22 games in a PSG shirt, the midfielder has only started seven of them, including five in Ligue 1, one in the Champions League and one in the Coupe de France.

In those seven starts, Sanches has not once completed a full 90 minutes, with his longest cameo lasting 74 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Lyon earlier this month.

The former Bayern Munich man was chosen from the off in the weekend's win over Nice, but he was only on the field for 10 minutes before sustaining yet another adductor injury, ruling him out for another three to four weeks.

Despite his well-documented physical concerns, L'Equipe - via Get French Football News - claims that Sanches is still unhappy with his game time, having expected a more prominent role under Galtier and football advisor Luis Campos given their successful history at Lille.

The Portuguese lynchpin is said to have privately complained to the powers-that-be about his failure to complete a full 90 minutes in a PSG jersey as uncertainty grows over his long-term future.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Christophe Galtier on March 19, 2023 © Reuters

Sanches is under contract at the Parc des Princes for another four years, but PSG are supposedly willing to listen to offers for the ex-Swansea City loanee at the end of the season.

Sanches arrived in Paris last summer as part of a major midfield reshuffle, with Carlos Soler, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz also beefing up Galtier's options in the centre of the park.

Ander Herrera, Rafinha, Idrisa Gueye and Xavi Simons have all been allowed to depart permanently, while Leandro Paredes, Georgino Wijnaldum, Edouard Michut and Julian Draxler are all on loan elsewhere.

However, there is a consensus that PSG's summer spending spree was underwhelming, and Campos - should he stay on - will look to rectify those mistakes with another significant outlay ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Les Parisiens hold a six-point lead over Lens at the top of the Ligue 1 table with eight games left to play this season.