Renato Sanches: PSG's 'Forgotten' Fourth Portuguese Player

In recent years, discussing PSG's Portuguese quartet typically meant three starters—Vitinha, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes—and a luxury substitute in Gonçalo Ramos. While the striker has since moved to AC Milan, the European champions' pre-season still includes (at least on paper) four Portuguese players, with Renato Sanches being the last of them.

It's hardly surprising that the 2016 Golden Boy winner's continued association with PSG goes almost unnoticed. After all, he hasn't played for the club in over three years, spending the last three seasons on loan at three different teams.

Consequently, the 28-year-old midfielder's future does not lie with the Parisian giants. Luis Enrique has no plans for him, a fact underscored yesterday when, according to Le Parisien, the Spanish coach had Sanches train separately from the first team, opting instead to call up academy prospects.

Randal Kolo Muani, Naoufel El Hannach, Yoram Zague, and Noah Nsoki find themselves in the same predicament as Sanches, who is now looking to redirect his career despite having a year left on his contract with PSG.

PSG signed Renato Sanches from Lille in 2022 for €15 million. The quality of the midfielder, a European champion in 2016, is rarely questioned. However, his ten-year career at the highest level has been marred by an almost countless number of injuries. It's therefore no surprise that PSG acquired him after a season where he made 32 appearances, his highest tally since his debut season at Benfica, where he played 35 games.

His stint in Paris lasted just one season: 27 games, two goals, and five breaks due to muscle problems. This marked the beginning of a loan carousel that shows no signs of stopping.

His spell at José Mourinho's Roma in 2023/24 was forgettable. Injuries were incessant, and the midfielder only managed 12 appearances, prompting laments from the coach at the time: "Renato Sanches is always at risk of injury. It's hard to understand. They didn't understand why at Bayern, they didn't understand at PSG, and we are trying to understand why."

A return to Benfica followed, characterized by four more injuries. By the end of the season, the Eagles, unsurprisingly, did not activate their €10 million purchase option. Sanches's most recent adventure was at Panathinaikos, where he reunited with Rui Vitória, the coach who gave him his senior debut at Benfica.

At 28, with a peculiar career that has seen him play for three European champions, his future remains uncertain, even as he enters what should be a footballer's prime. It remains to be seen whether this saga of loans will conclude, or if PSG and Renato will eventually terminate his contract. What is certain is that the Portuguese player is preparing to sign for an eighth club in his career (assuming he doesn't return to any of his former teams).