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
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
“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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