According to The Athletic, Manchester United held ‘extensive’ talks with Sporting CP back in January over the potential signing of Geovany Quenda, and all signs were pointing to a summer move being agreed by the end of the winter transfer window. Ruben Amorim held Quenda in high regard after seeing the 17-year-old slot into his 3-4-3 system seamlessly at Sporting, which made some figures in the United boardroom ‘confident’ of arranging a reunion between player and coach at Old Trafford.
However, when Sporting set their initial asking price at €60m (£50m/$65m), United flinched, which opened the door for their Premier League rivals. Chelsea acted quickly to steal Quenda right from under United’s noses, agreeing a cut-price €48m (£40m/$52m) deal with Sporting that will see him remain in Lisbon for another year before arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2026.
Make no mistake, this is a major coup for Chelsea. Quenda has enjoyed a remarkable rise to prominence at Sporting, which has already earned him a place in the Portugal national squad, and the sky is the limit if he continues on his current trajectory. United, meanwhile, will be kicking themselves for letting such a talented prospect slip from their grasp, especially as he now counts Cristiano Ronaldo as one of his leading mentors.
GOAL takes a look at exactly why there is so much hype around Quenda…