Renato Sanches to Bayern Munich: Manchester United target moves to Bundesliga champions for £27.6million

The 18-year-old Benfica midfielder had been heavily tipped to move to Old Trafford this summer

Tuesday 10 May 2016 11:47 BST

Sanches has signed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions (FC Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich have confirmed the £27.6million signing of Renato Sanches, who has signed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions.

The 18-year-old Benfica midfielder, rated as one of the most exciting young players in European football, had been heavily tipped to move to Manchester United this summer.

Sanches, however, has opted for Bavaria, having completed a pre-transfer medical at the club’s training ground.

The Portugal international will join the club from the start of the 2016/17 season, with his new deal running until 30 June 2021.

“FC Bayern has been watching Renato Sanches for a long period,” said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the club’s chairman.

“We’re pleased we’ve been able to sign him despite big-name international competition,” he added.

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

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1/10Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Michael Carrick

The Old Trafford career of Manchester United’s second longest-serving player is coming to an end. Last year’s decision to hand him a one-year extension was questionable, this year it would be unjustified. It’s time to call it a day.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

One of the quieter disappointments of Louis van Gaal’s tenure. Rojo has rarely, if ever, put in an above-average performance and cost his team too often. A tournament-inspired signing if ever there was one and likely to go out the door with his manager, who has also disappointed after an eye-catching World Cup.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Memphis Depay

His season has been, to put it in the kindest terms, ‘mercurial’. Brief, perhaps very brief, glimpses at his talent have been outweighed by truly anaemic, gutless performances. His youth should be enough to dissuade the club’s hierarchy from cashing in but Depay will need to show a serious volte-face in his second season to turn his Old Trafford fortunes around.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Juan Mata

In truth, if Jose Mourinho takes over at Old Trafford as expected, there may be little that the Spaniard can do to convince his new manager that he should be kept on. His fate, in that sense, may be sealed. Nevertheless, Mata can hardly claim to have fully established himself at Old Trafford and still has a number of doubters. A few weeks in his preferred no. 10 role could do him a world of good.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Marouane Fellaini

Quite easily the most unpopular man at Old Trafford on any given matchday and this season, that’s saying something. He wants to do well, that’s clear, but he simply does not have the requisite technical quality and tries to make up for it by elbowing people. His time’s up.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Paddy McNair

Alongside Tyler Blackett, McNair provides the stand-out argument against those who uncritically praise Van Gaal’s promotion of youth. Sadly he, nor Blackett, are good enough and should not have been relied upon so much at points during the Dutchman’s first season. In truth, both may have already made their last appearances for United.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

Surprisingly, the young full-back still has not been tied down to a long-term contract, despite his impressive performances since breaking into the side. Talks are understood to have begun but Borthwick-Jackson’s contract expires in June and his future won’t be certain until the dotted line is signed.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Antonio Valencia

His brilliant 2011/12 campaign established him as a firm favourite among supporters but his surrender of the no. 7 shirt the year after marked him as a player who sometimes struggles with a weight of expectation on his shoulders. Ever since, he’s been a figure on the fringes and only on the odd occasions that he’s fit. Sell up before his contract expires next year.

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Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Adnan Januzaj

Packed off on loan to Borussia Dortmund, sent back early after starting just three times and just two substitute appearances since his return. It’s all a far cry from having three football associations fight over your international allegiance. Where Januzaj goes next is unclear but he acts a forewarning to the likes of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford – consistency, not just youthful exuberance, is needed to prosper at United.

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Andreas Pereira

The Belgian-born Brazilian has shown his talent at times but, like Januzaj, seems to be another academy product who’s stalling in the reserves while others prosper. He needs with a loan move to gain competitive minutes, perhaps on the continent, or he risks complete stagnation.

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“Renato is dynamic, a good tackler and a technically skilled midfielder who’ll add even more strength to our team.”

United’s failure to persuade Sanches to move to Old Trafford marks another failure for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, who oversees the club’s transfer policy.

Woodward has previously seen attempts to sign Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos and Thiago Alcantara fail, with the latter also choosing the Allianz Arena over Old Trafford.

Sanches, a client of super-agent Jorge Mendes, becomes the fourth most-expensive teenager in world football history.

The 18-year-old’s £27.6million fee puts him behind Wayne Rooney, who moved to Manchester United for £27.8million to Manchester United in 2004.

Raheem Sterling, who moved to Manchester City from Liverpool for £46.9million last summer, remains world football’s most expensive teenage signing.

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