Liverpool are reportedly interested in Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, and he could be seen as a budget replacement for their interest in Jude Bellingham.

The club are currently on their pre-season tour of Thailand and have already shown a willingness to dip into the transfer market.

It is no surprise to see Jurgen Klopp’s side often linked with a midfielder, as his acquisition of Thiago marks the only first-team midfield addition since Fabinho and Naby Keita joined in 2019.

With the Spaniard having just turned 31 and James Milner at the ripe old age of 36, it appears that Liverpool could do with a new look in their engine room.

It therefore would make perfect sense to inject some much-needed energy, and the perfect opportunity could be available on the market for a cut price.

With Bellingham a long-time target of the club, perhaps the Reds could turn their attention elsewhere to avoid the huge financial outlay.

Sanches is another midfielder who has been linked with the club and could be available at just £8m before add-ons. Conversely, Bellingham would set the club back upwards of a reported €120m (£101m).

A consistent performer last season for Lille, the Portugal international recorded an average SofaScore rating of 7.08. His six goal contributions also mark him out as something of a goal threat despite his role as the grafter in midfield.

For comparison, Bellingham only managed a 6.96 SofaScore rating in the league.

Sanches could be moulded into something similar to what Gini Wijnaldum was for Klopp, and we all know how successful he turned out to be on Anfield.

Or, better yet, FBref denotes Jordan Henderson as his second-most similar player. Perhaps he could even be a direct replacement for the 32-year-old.

The 24-year-old was labelled “incredible” by former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell, and his underlying stats support this claim. He ranks in the 98^th percentile for progressive passes, the 96^th percentile for progressive carries, and the 97^th percentile for passes completed per 90.

He is a silky midfielder who loves to go forward but more importantly, he loves to work hard for his team.

He could prove a much smarter acquisition for FSG than Bellingham, not only due to how much money he could save the club but also because he could be moulded into any of the roles that Klopp has in his midfield three.

AND, in other news: FSG can land Klopp his very own Neymar with Liverpool bid for £34m "joy to watch".