Report: Roma Begins Talks for PSG's Renato Sanches (Update: He Intends on Staying)

Well, so much for Marcel Sabitzer. If reports from Gianluca Di Marzio are correct, the Austrian midfielder is determined to impress Thomas Tuchel and earn his place with Bayern Munich. Of course, in the very same article, dated July 11th, Di Marzio reaffirms Bayern's desire to sell the midfielder outright, which came before yesterday's update that indicated Roma could convince Munich to let him go on a loan with an obligation tied to Champions League qualification.

If all this sounds like convoluted nonsense, it's because, well, it is—this is the transfer rumor mill in a nutshell. No one truly knows what's happening, but that doesn't stop anyone from flinging haphazard guesses at the wall to see what sticks. It's the football version of TMZ trying to figure out which celebrities are sleeping together.

But I digress...

With Sabitzer stuck in no man's land, today's reports shift Roma's gaze back to the City of Lights, specifically to the Parc des Princes. According to Nicolo Schira, the Giallorossi have opened negotiations with PSG for Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches, who likely has no shot of cracking new manager Luis Enrique's rotation this season, potentially paving the way for a loan move to Roma.

Sanches, who will turn 26 next month, was once one of the most promising midfielders in all of Europe, impressing the continent with his dynamic play at Euro 2016. Since then, Sanches has gone from Benfica to Bayern Munich to Swansea to Lille to PSG, all while suffering a litany of muscular injuries that have hampered his development, limiting him to only 2,300 league minutes the past two seasons.

The talent is undeniable, and while the transfer negotiations may be less stressful, this move carries enormous risk. Of course, given everything we griped about at the outset of this article, Sanches and Sabitzer could very well be a smoke screen for an entirely different midfielder.

We'll continue to track each of these stories, but if nothing else, the pace of the rumors suggests that Roma is working hard to find new solutions for the midfield.

Stay tuned!

Update:

According to reports from L’Equipe, Sanches wants to remain with PSG.

See, I told ya. Total bullshit. But wait until, like, next Tuesday when the winds shift again.