Renato Sanches Says He Thinks He Will Leave Bayern Munich in the Summer

Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches says he thinks he will leave the club in the summer transfer window because he wants to play more regularly.    

The 21-year-old told Sport Bild (h/t Calciomercato.com) that he does not know yet if he will leave on loan or move on a permanent transfer.

"Everyone knows I want to play more, five minutes are not enough for me. Playing is what I love, I do my best in every training session.

"My coach and my team-mates know it too, I am always ready to play a few minutes a game, I trust myself and I want to do well every time I get the chance to play, I still have fifteen years of football ahead of me, the future can be good.

"I don't know if it will be a transfer on loan or outright, but I think I will leave Bayern. We will evaluate what is best for me, I just want to play more."

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Sanches returned to Bayern in July 2018 after a season on loan with Swansea City but has only made six starts in all competitions for manager Niko Kovac's side. 

Kovac has said it is "not easy" for Sanches at Bayern and added that the club plan to "talk after the last game and sit down together," per Goal's Jamie Smith.

Sanches joined Bayern from Benfica in 2016 and was widely regarded as one of Europe's brightest young talents at the time. He won the 2016 Golden Boy award and was part of the Portugal squad that won the 2016 UEFA European Championship.

However, he's been unable to make an impact at Bayern and flopped during his one season in the Premier League with Swansea.

The Swans manager at the time, Carlos Carvalhal, said Sanches knew he had had "a very bad season," per the Telegraph's Alex Bywater. Sanches made just 15 appearances as Swansea were relegated to the Championship.

Sanches returned to Bayern and has shown glimpses of his talent:

Nonetheless, he's been unable to command a regular spot and was linked with a move away from Bayern in the January transfer window. Kovac said, however, the youngster could feature more regularly in the second half of the season:

Yet Sanches is yet to make a single start for Bayern in 2019, and his frustration at being a bit-part player suggests the time is right time for him to move on and attempt to revive his career elsewhere.