Ruben Amorim’s arrival in Manchester has been met with much excitement, and the prospect of adding some of his former Sporting Lisbon stars is beginning to generate traction.
The 39-year-old cultivated an envious environment in the Estadio Jose Alvalade, with players like Viktor Gyokeres, Francisco Trincao and Ousmane Diomande earning continental plaudits for their eye-catching performances.
Old Trafford officials have been monitoring their progress for some time and retain long-term plans to bolster an attractive squad with technically proficient individuals.
Sitting at the top of a wishlist is the remarkably talented teenager Geovany Quenda, with conversations taking place before the recent pursuit of Amorim.
The 17-year-old has catapulted his name into sitting rooms across Europe, with 18 appearances collected across all competitions this campaign – including a standout showing in a 4-1 demolition of Manchester City.
Promisingly for the United faithful, Portuguese outlet A Bola states the Reds are long-term admirers and eager to seal a deal for the teenage star “as soon as possible” with summer deemed a likely period.
The latest Sporting star has emerged
Senior Lisbon officials are keen to retain the services of their latest generational talent but remain realistic in their expectations. Truthfully, the winger is viewed as the next multi-million departure from the league.
Following a strategic contractual renewal in September, the Bissau-born teen’s release clause increased to €100 million, matched only by leading man Gyokeres.
“The Red Devils will never waver,” the Portuguese report states. “With an initial offer of less than 40 million, it remains to be seen how much they will have to raise to convince the Sporting management.”
Amorim is a well-known supporter of promoting youth and entrusting the talents of uncut gems while they learn their trade at the highest level.
Having identified Quenda ahead of Sporting’s pre-season camp in Lagos, his undeniable ability surprised many first-team staff and accelerated his starting birth for the reigning champions.
Despite his inexperience, his growth has astounded the faithful Verde e brancos and earned inclusion in Roberto Martinez’s senior Portugal side for the Nations League encounters with Croatia and Scotland.
Since arriving in the North West, Dan Ashworth has begun revolutionising the sporting department in Manchester while future-proofing the first team with a series of teenage signings.
While Quenda is of paramount interest to the Ineos backroom team, a January move will not be possible due to the player’s age and international rules regarding deals made outside the EU and EEA nations.
Furthermore, Amorim has already ruled out weakening his former side midseason. “I won’t be signing [Sporting players] in January,” he recently told media.
“I don’t know about the summer. The main thing is to hold on until the summer [laughs]. After that, we’ll see – Sporting’s players are very good players. I don’t know. We’ll see.”
United’s new head coach can look forward to embracing the talents of new signings Chido Obi-Martin, James Overy, Sekou Kone and Samuel Lusal over the coming months, with a shared desire to enhance the talent pool at Carrington.
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