Renato Sanches has said he believes he has “arrived” at Bayern Munich after playing the full 90 minutes in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Augsburg.
Sanches, 21, managed only 615 Bundesliga minutes in the 2016-17 season, his first at the club, and joined Swansea on loan last season but could not help them avoid relegation from the Premier League.
He was linked with a move away from Munich over the summer but got a second chance when Corentin Tolisso suffered a knee injury.
The Portugal international made his first start of the season as Bayern played at his hometown club Benfica in the Champions League, scoring a goal and receiving applause from his old club’s fans, and said that almost two-and-a-half years after signing he has finally arrived.
“I have arrived. I feel the trust of the coach [Niko Kovac], my teammates and the staff,” he told reporters after the Augsburg game. “That’s incredibly important for me.
“I felt good and played a decent match, but I also wasted a few chances.”
Teammates Arjen Robben and Mats Hummels praised Sanches, with Robben also urging him to put more composure into his finishing.
“Renato has so much power, how he forces his way through with the ball,” he said. “I only told him that he often puts that force and pace into his shot. I don’t blame him, but it would good if he relaxed a bit and placed the shot.”
Hummels added: “He can be very important for us. He created nearly all of his chances by himself with his irresistible acceleration. But, sure, at the end of the day, the ball must hit the back of the net.”
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