Paul Clement was “delighted” with 2017 Swansea City signing - he’s now remembered for all the wrong reasons | OneFootball

The signing of Renato Sanches looked to be a coup for Swansea City, it proved to be anything but

Renato Sanches signing for Swansea City on loan from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017 remains one of the most bizarre signings English football has seen in recent times.

Just over 12 months prior to his move to the Swans, Sanches had helped Portugal win Euro 2016, developing a reputation as one of the most promising players in world football, winning the Golden Boy award, and also winning the Young Player of the Tournament award, capping a successful tournament for the midfielder.

His success at the Euros saw him seal a big money move from Benfica to Bayern Munich that summer, and not a single person would have envisaged him rocking up at Swansea City's Fairwood training base just a year later, but that's what transpired.

A disappointing season at Bayern Munich saw him made available for loan, and Swansea boss Paul Clement, who had previously been assistant boss at the German giants, swopped to bring him to SA1.

Swansea boss Clement thought he'd pulled off a real coup in bringing a player of Sanches' quality to south Wales, which was understandable given his reputation at the time, and it's clear that it was a deal that took a lot of effort to complete.

Speaking to The Mirror, Clement explained: "I first contacted Karl-Heinz Rummenigge early in the summer. He explained that no decision had been made about Sanches’ future but that a number of clubs were interested in him.

"I spoke to him again a week ago, together with manager Carlo Ancelotti and the player’s representatives. They all felt that Swansea was the perfect destination for him.

"I’m delighted to secure his services. He is one of Europe’s elite young talents who has already achieved a lot for his age, including winning Euro 2016 with Portugal. This move to Swansea and the Premier League will provide him with a real positive development experience.

"As a player, he is a dynamic, powerful central midfielder who I believe has all the attributes to suit the Premier League."

While Clement and Swansea City supporters were delighted with Sanches' signing, it didn't take too long for people to realise that the Portuguese midfielder was a shadow of the player he was just 12 months prior, and his debut couldn't have gone much worse.

The Bayern loanee started as Swansea hosted Newcastle United at the beginning of September 2017, giving the ball away 23 times in his 69 minutes on the pitch as his side were defeated 1-0, and unfortunately, things were to get worse for Sanches.

Admittedly, Sanches was playing in a very poor side that were struggling for results, but he really struggled to make an impact at Swansea, playing the full 90 minutes just four times in the Premier League.

Things came to a head during their visit to Chelsea in November 2017, and Sanches was hauled off at half-time after a disastrous first-half display which had seen him pass to an advertising hoarding instead of a teammate at one point, and it was clear that the youngster was struggling to adapt to the English game.

After the game, Clement told Sky Sports: "He had a poor half.

"I feel for him because he is a very talented player and I don't think in any of the games this year he has shown the talent that he has.

"At the moment, I am seeing games where he is trying very difficult things, but today you see him misplacing lots of simple passes. His confidence is very low."

Clement soon departed and was replaced by Carlos Carvalhal and Sanches had his two best games for Swansea in the weeks that followed against Watford and Spurs, playing the full 90 minutes in consecutive weeks, but disaster struck, and he suffered an injury in an FA Cup tie against Wolves, before getting injured again at Notts County in the next round.

That was to prove his final appearance, and while he returned from injury to sit on the bench for Swansea's last three league games as they were relegated, Carvalhal opted against using him.

Sanches' commitment to Swansea left a lot to be desired, and it was summed up when he took to social media to reveal he'd released a 'Renato Sanches emoji', just hours before the club were defeated by Southampton, all but condemning them to Premier League relegation.

It sparked an angry reaction, and it's fair to say that the midfielder is not remembered fondly in SA1.

Perhaps had Swansea not endured a dreadful 2017/18 season, Sanches could have been a different player for them, but despite Clement's delight when he was signed, he proved to be a massive flop.