Paris Saint-Germain have announced the signing of Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches from Lille on a five-year deal.
The former Bayern Munich starlet worked alongside Christophe Galtier during his productive spell at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and featured regularly under the Frenchman in their title-winning 2020-21 season.
Sanches - an ex-Benfica youth product - reignited his career at Lille after his underwhelming loan spell at Swansea City and made 90 appearances for Les Dogues in all competitions.
The 24-year-old scored six goals and set up 10 more in that time, although he also developed a reputation for being injury-prone during his time at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Nevertheless, interest in Sanches was rife earlier this summer, with Arsenal and AC Milan both tipped to swoop for the midfielder, who was out of contract in 2023.
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However, the Portugal international is believed to have had his heart set on a move to PSG, and a €15m (£12.5m) deal was agreed between the two clubs earlier this week.
The Ligue 1 champions have now confirmed that Sanches has signed a contract at the Parc des Princes until the summer of 2027, and he has cited the club's "project" as his reason for snubbing interest from elsewhere.
"I'm really happy to have arrived here in Paris. These last few days have been really important for me and for my family. I'm sure that I've made the right choice by signing for the club," Sanches told PSG's media channels.
"I chose Paris Saint-Germain because I think that it's the best project for me. Staying in France was important to me, as I know this league already."
When asked about the influence of Galtier in his decision, Sanches added: "I know him well! He's a good coach who helped me improve a lot after I came into Ligue 1.
"Together, we even managed to win the league with Lille. We worked well together, and I'm happy to be working with him again, as well as with his coaching staff. Working with a manager that you know always makes things easier. The communication between you is simpler."
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Galtier had previously confirmed the imminent arrival of Sanches in Thursday's press conference, telling reporters: "[Renato Sanches] is arriving this afternoon. He's a player who has qualities that others don't have, particularly if I compare him with Marco [Verratti], Viti [Vitinha] or Danilo [Pereira].
"This kind of player is very explosive, powerful and can have an impact. He has the capacity to break the lines and make defensive recoveries. There was an opportunity in the market for a player who knows both Ligue 1 as well as the highest level, and he's an international. He hasn't played [yet], so he's going to be late [in his pre-season preparation] with regard to his teammates."
Sanches becomes PSG's fourth arrival of the summer window after the club sealed moves for Vitinha, Nordi Mukiele and Hugo Ekitike, with the latter arriving on loan from Reims.
The ex-Bayern man also joins a long list of Portuguese players at the Parc des Princes, linking up with Vitinha, Danilo Pereira and Nuno Mendes at the Parc des Princes for 2022-23.
Sanches ended the 2021-22 season with two goals and five assists from 32 games in all tournaments, but he missed a further 13 matches through injury.
PSG will begin the defence of their Ligue 1 crown against Clermont on Saturday after beating Nantes 4-0 in the Trophee des Champions last month.
Ben Knapton
