Chelsea have decided against signing former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Renato Sanches on a free transfer, despite briefly considering the Portugal international as a solution to their midfield shortage.
The 29-year-old became a free agent earlier this month after reaching an agreement with PSG to terminate the final year of his contract.
Chelsea explored the possibility of bringing Sanches to Stamford Bridge after their attempts to strengthen the midfield during the final stages of the transfer window ended in disappointment.
The Blues had been close to signing Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who completed a £125 million move to Manchester City. However, Monaco pulled out of the agreement at the last minute, leaving Chelsea without a direct replacement for the Argentine midfielder.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Chelsea subsequently considered Sanches because of his experience at the highest level and his immediate availability as a free agent.
However, the London club ultimately decided not to proceed with the move, choosing instead to trust the midfield options already available to manager Xabi Alonso.
Sanches, a former Golden Boy winner, spent four years contracted to PSG but struggled to establish himself in the first team, with injuries limiting his consistency. He spent time on loan at Roma, Benfica and Panathinaikos before his contract with the French champions was terminated.
The Portuguese midfielder is now attracting interest from other European clubs as he looks to revive his career after becoming a free agent.
Chelsea, meanwhile, will continue the season without adding another midfielder following the departures of Fernandez and other squad changes during the summer transfer window.
The decision leaves Alonso to work with his existing midfield options for the remainder of the first half of the season, with the club potentially waiting until the January transfer window before making another major addition.
