The Portuguese contingent is firmly established at Paris Saint-Germain. With Vitinha, Neves, Nuno Mendes, and Gonçalo Ramos, Portuguese players hold significant positions in the squad of the French capital club. This situation is clearly linked to the influence of Luis Campos.
In 2022, Luis Campos facilitated Renato Sanches's transfer from Lille to Paris Saint-Germain. To secure this promising midfielder, PSG paid 15 million euros to acquire him. However, unlike his successful spell at Lille, Paris Saint-Germain failed to get the best out of the 2016 Golden Boy award winner.
548 Days Sidelined in Four Years
In his debut season, Sanches made 27 appearances and scored 2 goals, but made limited impact with just 905 minutes of playing time. He suffered 5 injuries that season, missing 21 games and a total of 116 days. His disappointing performance led to a loan move: first to Roma under fellow Portuguese manager José Mourinho, but he struggled to adapt in Italy—injuries plagued him again with 7 injuries that season, missing 23 games and 146 days of action.
This was clearly not conducive to regaining form. After just 12 appearances and 1 goal (261 minutes total) at Roma, he returned to Paris but did not stay long. To help him rediscover his best form, PSG loaned him to Benfica, where his career had taken off. However, Sanches failed to recapture his earlier brilliance upon returning to his home country. He made 21 appearances across all competitions, scoring 1 goal and totaling 634 minutes, yet remained frequently sidelined: 4 injuries, 35 missed games, and 176 days out.
Market Value in Free Fall
After returning to Paris Saint-Germain, the 27-year-old was loaned out again, this time to Panathinaikos in Greece. The injury curse continued—he suffered 5 injuries, missed 19 games, and was absent for 110 days. Though early 2026 suggested a potential turnaround, the Lisbon-born player contributed just 1 goal and 1 assist in 24 appearances (12 starts) for Panathinaikos, totaling 1,205 minutes, and failed to impress. The Greek club did not extend his loan, sending him back to Paris, where he remains contracted until 2027.
PSG hopes to offload him permanently this summer or arrange a fourth loan, but few clubs are interested. West Ham United, recently relegated to the Championship, have been linked with him, though there has been no concrete progress. Over the past four years, his form has declined and his fitness has been unreliable: 21 injuries, 98 missed games, and 548 days out injured. No club wants to take on that risk. According to Transfermarkt, his market value has crashed to 2 million euros, down from 28 million euros when he joined PSG. At 27, Sanches still has a chance to return to his peak, but his summer 2026 decision will be crucial for relaunching his career.
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