Chelsea transfer news: Surprise ‘approach’ made for 32-cap international midfielder who would not cost a penny

Chelsea have reportedly expressed an interest in signing Renato Sanches on a free transfer.

The 29-year-old midfielder is currently without a club after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain was terminated at the beginning of this month, ending his four-year spell at the Parc des Princes.

Xabi Alonso was keen to strengthen his Chelsea midfield in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, after the Blues agreed to sell Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125m.

However, a deal for Monaco’s Lamine Camara fell through at the eleventh hour, leaving Chelsea short in the midfield department.

Captain Reece James started in midfield alongside Romeo Lavia for Chelsea’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Arsenal, while Malo Gusto and Valentin Barco have also been used in the middle of the pitch this term.

Moises Caicedo is regarded as Chelsea’s first-choice centre-midfielder, but he is currently sidelined through injury, while 36-year-old summer signing Jordan Henderson is also in the treatment room and is still waiting to make his debut for the club.

Chelsea considered move for free agent Sanches

With this in mind, Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness, claims that Chelsea recently approached Sanches after adding him to a shortlist of potential midfield targets.

Sanches is said to have met several criteria valued by the West Londoners, including his top-level experience and immediate availability, but the club’s hierarchy have ultimately decided not to pursue the matter further.

Chelsea chiefs have opted to place their trust in Alonso existing squad, and transfer discussions will most likely resume closer to the January window.

Interest in Sanches - a 32-cap Portugal international who has not represented his country since 2021 - comes after recent reports claiming that Chelsea had considered a move for free agent and former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

The rise and fall of Sanches now without a club at 29

Sanches played just 27 times for PSG across all competitions, and he spent the last three seasons out on loan at three different clubs, representing Roma, Benfica and most recently Panathinaikos in 2025-26.

He made the vast majority of his 24 appearances for Panathinaikos under former Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez, helping the Greek side finish fourth in the Super League, reach the Greek Cup semi-finals and the last 16 of the Europa League.

However, Panathinaikos opted against signing Sanches on a permanent basis, and now that he has departed PSG, the midfielder is on the lookout for a fresh challenge in the prime year of his career.

Sanches was once regarded as one of the brightest young talents in world football when he burst onto the scene at Benfica in 2015, before starring for Euro 2016 champions Portugal as a teenager.

A high-profile move to Bayern Munich for the 2016 Golden Boy winner soon followed, but he struggled to nail down a regular starting spot and was loaned out to Swansea City the following season.

He rediscovered his form over a three-year spell with French club Lille, before joining PSG for €13m in 2022, but he was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements under Luis Enrique.