Bayern Munich are willing to listen to loan offers for 19-year-old midfielder Renato Sanches this summer, with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte keen to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
Sanches' performance against Chelsea in this week's pre-season friendly evidently caught the eye of the Italian manager, who has asked the German champions about his availability.
The midfielder was one of the stars of Euro 2016; with his energetic performances helping Portugal, and Cristiano Ronaldo, to an historic victory in France.
A big-money move to the Bavarian giants was his reward, but the 2016-17 season saw Sanches’ meteoric rise through European football’s hierarchy stall, as he failed to make his mark in the Bundesliga.
He played just 618 league minutes last season, failing to play a direct role in any goals, which, considering the free-scoring nature of Carlo Ancelotti’s team, was a concern.
It was never going to be easy for Sanches to get the minutes he needed. Thiago Alcantara continues to progress into one of the best midfielders in Europe, while Arturo Vidal’s tenacity in midfield is irreplaceable.
The retirement of Xabi Alonso looked like it may open the door for Sanches, but the loan signing of Colombian star James Rodriguez and the big-money purchase of 22-year-old Corentin Tolisso has again seemingly knocked Sanches further down the pecking order.
There is little doubt about the teenager's potential. He is both athletic and talented in midfield, able to dominate through effort and quality.
He is, however, very raw and needs game time to progress, which he is not getting in Germany. It is troubling that, should Chelsea get Sanches on a temporary deal, they would be fine-tuning a talent only to send him back to their continental rivals.
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He fits the Bayern model of being tidy on the ball and looking to retain possession where possible. He averaged 58.66 completed passes per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga, with a pass completion rate of 88 per cent.
There is a finesse about his creative play that few players can call upon. He may not have assisted a goal for Bayern, but he did create 0.57 chances per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga, and an impressive five in just 210 Champions League minutes.
His creative guile was evident in the Uefa U21 European Championships in Poland, when a delightful chipped assist for Bruno Fernandes’ goal in the 2-0 win over Serbia demonstrated his ability.
Given his precocious talent and exuberant style of play, he can fall into the trap of trying to play his way out of tight spaces too often, and therefore squandering possession. It is this flaw which has maybe been the reason why he is yet to earn Ancelotti’s trust.
He would offer Chelsea a different option in the middle given his more dynamic style of play compared to current creator Cesc Fabregas.
Similarly to the Spaniard, however, he would by no means be guaranteed a place in the first team, which would be the logical reason for a loan move.
Renato Sanches certainly has a special talent, but there has to be a concern whether a short-term move to Stamford Bridge would benefit the west London club in the long-term.
