There are players who, as their careers unfold or come to an end, make you wonder what might have happened if they had reached their full potential. Renato Sanches, who once played for FC Bayern, is one such player.
As a youngster, the Portuguese player put in fantastic performances for Benfica and was considered one of the absolute best and most talented young midfielders in the world. Bayern signed him for 35 million euros in the summer of 2016.
But the high hopes were not fulfilled. Sanches was loaned to Swansea and later sold to Lille.
Sanches’ contract terminated
After a brief improvement in his performance, he eventually moved from Lille to PSG in 2022. But he didn’t get much playing time with the Parisians either; he was loaned first to Roma, then to Benfica, and finally to Athens, where he played for Panathinaikos. In the summer, however, he had to return from there, so he ended up back at PSG.
Now the French club has lost patience with him and terminated his contract following discussions with the player’s representatives, as first reported by the Portuguese newspaper Record. This means that Sanches is now a free agent and would therefore be available on the market on a free transfer.
There are still no rumors about where Sanches might end up. The 30-year-old wants to try to continue playing in Europe, but his options won’t be plentiful. It’s also clear that he’ll have to adjust his salary expectations to improve his chances.
Sanches’ career trajectory clearly shows that it’s not always enough to be highly talented and to deliver great performances as a young player. It also always comes down to making the right career decisions and having the necessary luck at each stop along the way.
