“I’ve been through difficult times”: a forgotten Bayern Munich star fights for his career
Former Bayern Munich player Renato Sanches, currently without a club, wants to find a new club by January at the latest.
"I want to get back into action in January, and that is what will happen," Sanches told the Portuguese newspaper A Bola. "I want to make a good comeback, represent my club as well as possible and do what I enjoy most with the greatest enthusiasm."
At the beginning of September, Paris Saint-Germain terminated Sanches' contract, which had been due to run until next summer. The 29-year-old has been looking for a new club ever since, but has yet to find one.
"I have been through difficult times," Sanches said, reflecting on a career marked by numerous injuries. "Unfortunately, I had injuries I would rather not have had, but none of them was due to a lack of professionalism," he said, stressing that he had always conducted himself in exemplary fashion.
When did Renato Sanches join Bayern Munich?
At 18, Sanches became a European champion with Portugal in 2016, establishing himself as a regular starter on the way to the title and earning a reputation as one of the world's biggest midfield talents. Shortly afterwards, he joined Bayern Munich from Benfica Lisbon for a €35 million transfer fee. He never lived up to the high expectations in Munich.
Sanches spent three years under contract at Bayern Munich and made 53 competitive appearances. He spent 2017/18 on loan at Swansea City, then left Bayern for good in 2019 to join Lille OSC for a €20 million transfer fee. The Portuguese midfielder gave his career fresh impetus there before joining PSG in 2022.
Over the following four years, however, he made just 27 appearances for the Paris club. Injuries frequently held him back, and he rarely impressed. Loan spells at AS Roma, back in his homeland with Benfica, and at Panathinaikos Athens brought no lasting improvement. He made 24 appearances for the Greek club last season.
Renato Sanches has not played for Portugal in nearly five years
Sanches' efforts have long since fallen short of earning him a return to the Portugal national team. His most recent of 32 international appearances came in November 2021. "It is precisely my professionalism that has enabled me to play for some of Europe's best clubs. All those clubs know Renato's work," Sanches stressed, saying he had nothing to reproach himself for as a professional. "Some people go through more difficult times than others, and I believe that this phase of my life is now behind me."
Where he might end up in January remains unclear. Last summer, rumours suggested Union Berlin were interested, but a return to the Bundesliga did not materialise. At the end of September, Foot Mercato reported that Sanches could leave European football and join the traditional Brazilian club Corinthians Sao Paulo.
