Bayern Munich have announced the signing of 18-year-old Benfica midfielder Renato Sanches in a €35m (£27.6m).
Sanches had been widely expected to join Manchester United having been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford all season.
Benfica’s president was reportedly in Manchester to finalise the structure of the deal last week but Louis van Gaal’s side have let the deal slip through the net and allowed Bayern to pip them to Sanches’ signature.
The teenager has completed his medical at Bayern and put pen to paper on a five-year deal ahead of his summer move.
Sanches was particularly impressive when Benfica faced off against Bayern in the knockout stages of the Champions League, which could have proved a defining moment in their decision to swoop for the powerful box-to-box midfielder.
“FC Bayern has been watching Renato Sanches for a long period,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club’s website. “We’re pleased we’ve been able to sign him despite big-name international competition.
“Renato is dynamic, a good tackler and a technically skilled midfielder who’ll add even more strength to our team.”
The 18-year-old is currently the third highest rated teenager from the Champions League this season (6.99).
For more stats on Renato Sanches, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
