Juventus have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Lille star Renato Sanches as they look to hijack Milan’s interest in the Portuguese ace. According to JuventusNews24, the Bianconeri are keen on landing the 24-year-old midfielder despite signing Denis Zakaria on a free transfer in January.
Sanches has less than two years left to run on his current contract at Lille and he looks eager to secure a high-profile move already in the upcoming transfer window. Several top European clubs, including Arsenal and Milan, have taken an interest in the Portugal international, but Juventus are not intimidated.
The record-time Serie A champions pulled off two massive deals in the winter transfer window. In addition to the abovementioned Zakaria, Juventus brought in Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina in a mega-money deal. However, they have no intention of putting the brakes on their recruitment campaign.
Sanches carries a reputation as one of Europe’s finest midfield talents, even though he flopped at Bayern Munich before moving to Lille in 2019. The ex-Benfica starlet has undergone a renaissance in Ligue 1, establishing himself as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in European football, let alone France’s top-flight.
Juventus have not stayed immune to Sanches’ qualities as they aim to add him to their star-studded roster in the summer. With Arthur and Manuel Locatelli struggling with inconsistent performances, head coach Massimiliano Allegri is desperate to add a new piece to his midfield jigsaw.
Milan are long-term admirers of Sanches, having already made contacts with his representative Jorge Mendes to understand the feasibility of the deal. The Rossoneri are in the market for a new midfielder as they are on the verge of losing headline performer Franck Kessie in the summer.
Based on Sanches’ performances in Ligue 1, there is no doubt that he would be a major coup for whoever secures his services.