Wolves came within inches of signing Lille midfielder Renato Sanches in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Sanches constantly linked with move

Bruno Lage was linked with bringing in a host of players during the summer, but few were tipped to move to Molineux more often than Sanches.

The 32-time capped Portugal international ended up staying put at Lille for the time being, but he has only started five Ligue 1 games so far this season.

It appears as though Wolves came closer to snapping up Sanches than some may have realised, however.

The Latest: Spiers makes big claim

During a Q&A for The Athletic on Thursday [via Molineux.news], Spiers claimed that the 24-year-old could easily be a Wanderers player but his injury record held him back, also not ruling out a deal happening in the future:

"(I) was told a couple of weeks ago that with Sanches they were as close as you could be to signing a player without it actually happening.

"And that if they’d known how quickly he would have returned to action (early October) they probably would have gone through with signing him.

"Ultimately it came down to his injury and a fear that he could have been out until late October/early November, plus the games he’d then have taken to get up to speed, meaning you might not have him properly match sharp until, what, now kind of time? And then you’re paying his wages in full, plus a hefty loan fee.

"So it was considered too big a risk. And this is a player who’s never completed more than 60 per cent of a season before. Very injury prone. We’ll see what happens going forward but he’s not going to be short of offers. I hope they can resurrect it because a fit Renato Sanches would bring such a different dynamic to this team."

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The Verdict: Still a chance?

It is a shame to lose out on a player as gifted as Sanches - he won the prestigious European Golden Boy award in 2016 and has been hailed as 'incredible' by Kevin Campbell - but all hope may not be lost.

The midfielder's lack of playing time for Lille could suggest he may move on in January or next summer, at which point Wolves may choose to swoop.

Granted, Sanches has had an injury-plagued career but he could bring something different in the middle of the park, having averaged two dribbles per game and a 91.6% pass completion rate at Euro 2020 with Portugal.

In comparison, Ruben Neves (0.5) and Joao Moutinho (0.3) have averaged far fewer dribbles in the league this season, suggesting that Sanches could complement their more measured style nicely.

In other news, some Wolves fans have flocked to a Wanderers transfer claim. Read more here.