Renato Sanches’ performances for Portugal at Euro 2016, in terms of a breakout impact, bore an uncanny resemblance to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Euro 2004.
And the latter didn’t turn out to be too shabby a player at all.
The starring role Sanches played for the eventual tournament winners also left many Manchester United supporters furious with the fact that their side had missed out on such a prodigious talent.
Leading up to the summer, United were heavily linked with the 18-year-old but were beaten to the signing by Bayern Munich.
Sanches put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Bundesliga giants in a deal worth €35 million and potentially rising as high as €80 million.
The deal was signed on 10 May and, just over a fortnight later, Jose Mourinho was unveiled as new United manager.
Mourinho had been a huge admirer of Sanches and was keen to make him his first signing at Old Trafford but it wasn’t to be and the 53-year-old admits that things may have been different if he had arrived in Manchester sooner.
“I arrived late,” Mourinho told Sport TV. “I signed in May, we started talking a week before, but completely out of the process. If I had arrived earlier, I’d fight for him.
“Manchester United watched Renato many times and maybe I did it even more. In so much time at home, I watched many Benfica and Portuguese league games, I got to know the boy better with time.
“He’s in a big club, in a league where he’ll certainly be the champion. The club have players of very high level which belong to the structure, a little like Benfica.”
Perhaps the acquisition of a certain Paul Pogba may soften the blow for Mou.
