The Bayern Munich midfielder - who has had a disastrous loan spell at the Liberty Stadium - was rounded on by Swansea fans last Wednesday after his new personal emoji was announced on his official Twitter account.
The previous evening Swansea had lost their crunch relegation battle against Southampton, and a few hours later the club’s relegation was all but guaranteed after Huddersfield held Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Fans responded angrily to the tweet and departing Swansea manager Carlos Carvalhal termed the social media post “stupid”, although he insisted that is not the reason the Portugal international has played his final game for the club.
The emoji controversy has rounded off an unforgettable season for the 20-year-old Sanches, who was named young player of Euro 2016 after Portugal won that tournament.