Renato Sanches has fittingly linked up with two forgotten Premier League wonderkids as he joins the seventh club of his career.
The Portuguese has completed a loan transfer to Panathinaikos in Greece from Paris Saint-Germain six days after his 28th birthday.
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Sanches returned to PSG this summer after spending last season at Benfica, the club he came through the ranks at as a teen.
His temporary second stint at Benfica was extended to cover the Club World Cup, with Sanches scoring one goal in three appearances.
However, injury ruled him out of appearing in their 4-1 defeat against eventual champions Chelsea in the last 16.
In doing so, it spared Sanches from revisiting his most memorable moment in English football, which came at Stamford Bridge in 2017.
Benfica decided not to activate his purchase option, and Sanches has now joined Panathinaikos with no future at his parent club either.
The midfielder has reunited with manager Rui Vitoria, who promoted him from Benfica’s B to the senior side as an 18-year-old.
The Portugal international quickly earned his initial wonderkid tag under Vitoria, which was cemented by his involvement in Euro 2016.
Sanches claimed the Golden Boy award as part of Cristiano Ronaldo’s team that won Euro 2016, and earned a move to Bayern Munich.
A poor run of form left him out of favour at the club, and it was considered a massive coup when Swansea landed him on loan.
During his tenure, then-Swans manager Paul Clement leveraged his connection with former Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti to arrange for Sanches to nurture his skills in Wales while the club competed in England’s top-flight league.
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What happened to Renato Sanches?
His Premier League loan was defined by one infamous moment when he passed the ball to an advertising board against Chelsea.
Sanches revitalised his career with Lille in France, proving an integral part of the team that beat PSG to claim the Ligue 1 title in 2021.
He made the move to Paris the following year, but similar issues with fitness and form re-emerged in his sole season as a starter.
During the 2023/24 season, injuries confined Sanches to just 12 appearances on loan at Roma. In one notable match, manager Jose Mourinho substituted him merely 18 minutes after he was brought on.
A return to his boyhood club followed last year, where he ranked as both Benfica’s and Liga Portugal’s highest-paid player.
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Who does Renato Sanches now play for?
His high wages meant it was always unlikely his loan would be made permanent, and he was sent back to PSG after making 21 appearances.
Sanches, whose contract runs until 2027, was not reintegrated into Luis Enrique’s squad this summer.
The 32-cap international will now try his luck in the Greek Super League as the eighth signing of the Shamrock.
Panathinaikos already boast a slew of former Premier League wonderkids, with ex-Liverpool starlet Pedro Chirivella on their books.
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Last year, Facundo Pellistri ended his four-year spell at Manchester United to make the move to the Athens Olympic Stadium.
Panathinaikos finished second in the Greek Super League last season and were knocked out of the Conference League in the last-16.
The club still has a chance to participate in Europa League football this season if they succeed in the second leg of their playoff against the Turkish team, Samsunspor, having secured a 2-1 victory in the first encounter.
