Bayern Munich Set to Keep Renato Sanches at the Club Next Season Despite Loan Request From Benfica

Bayern Munich are reportedly prepared to fend off interest in Renato Sanches in order to keep the young Portuguese midfielder at the club next season, following a disastrous loan spell in the Premier League with Swansea City. 

It's a peculiar story with Sanches. Having won the Euro 2016 Golden Boy award, he arrived into South Wales only a year later with almost everyone expecting him to tear the Premier League apart. Instead, he didn't. The Portuguese flopped as a hard as anyone could in his situation, and only managed a total of 700 minutes for the Swans.

But now, according to German outlet Kicker, the Bavarian outfit are prepared to keep Renato at the club over the next season in a bid to improve the youngster themselves - rather than letting another club try and do it.

Rumours have recently been circulating of a proposed loan return to Benfica, where Sanches was first recognised as a soon to be world beater, but that's no longer the case if the report is to be believed.

Under new boss Niko Kovac, Sanches might receive more opportunities at the Allianz Arena compared to his debut term with the club. Before the loan move to Swansea, the now 20-year-old managed 26 appearances with Bayern - more than the 16 he earned with Swansea. 

However, under Carlo Ancelotti, many of these appearances were only from the bench, and the number of matches played doesn't well reflect the complete number of minutes during that time.

Perhaps, given the chance at Bayern, Sanches can blossom with such high quality around him, rather than the types of player that have now been relegated to the Championship. Only time will tell, but he's got a lot of time left to improve.