Bayern Munich executive chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Carlo Ancelotti agreed Renato Sanches would be worth a potential €80million transfer fee in a March meeting.
During his time at Benfica, Sanches was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, but Bayern swooped in to complete his signing for an initial €35m in May.
That fee could rise by a further €45m depending on success-related bonuses, but Rummenigge and Ancelotti felt the 18-year-old midfielder warranted such a risk.
The chairman pointed to Sanches’ performances in Portugal’s Euro 2016-winning campaign, where he was named Young Player of the Tournament, revelling in Bayern’s astuteness to wrap up the deal ahead of any competitors.
“This is a tremendous amount of money, something we do not need to discuss, but I sat down with Carlo Ancelotti in March and we agreed: this player is worth the risk,” Rummenigge told Bild.
“At the European Championship it has already been seen what tremendous power he brings, and what a personality he is on the pitch at 18. That’s impressive.
“When Renato Sanches became known at the European Championships, he had already signed with us.
“We won [the race for his signature] because the others had just planned their holidays.”
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