Lille president Olivier Letang has revealed that Renato Sanches will be allowed to leave the club if a big offer is submitted in January or ahead of next season. The Portuguese midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool in recent months, with the Reds said to be keen admirers.
Sanches has emerged as one of Ligue 1's finest playmakers since joining Lille from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019.
The 24-year-old played a significant role in leading the club to last season's domestic title but has missed a large chunk of the current campaign through injury.
He was tipped to join Liverpool over the summer to replace Georginio Wijnaldum, who signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after the expiry of his previous contract.
However, no such move came to fruition, with the Reds opting to channel most of their resources into long-term contract extensions for a selection of key stars.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will reignite their interest in Sanches when January rolls around, with the Merseyside club potentially able to tempt Lille into selling.
Sanches was linked with a summer move to Liverpool (Image: GETTY)
Letang has claimed that Sanches will be allowed to go elsewhere on the condition that a 'big club' tables a concrete bid for his services.
"I have already spoken about it," the Lille president told BFM Lille.
"I have already discussed with him, if an offer from a big club arrives, Renato will be able to leave. We will see what will happen.
"But for now, he is with us and he is happy to be. We saw that he had been able to show an interesting level of performance during his return from injury at the end of the season, but also at the Euros with Portugal."
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Sanches is tied down at Lille until the summer of 2023, meaning he is likely to be sold before the start of next season in order for the French outfit to receive a fee for their man.
Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in the player as of late, suggesting that Liverpool could face a battle to secure his signature.
Letang previously revealed that Sanches had all but finalised a deal to leave the club during the summer, but his injury struggles ultimately prevented the move from being rubber-stamped.
"It’s an open secret, Renato could have left, he had an exit certificate,” Letang told French publication La Voix du Nord last month.