Manchester United are expected to launch a pursuit of Sporting CP’s brightest prospect Geovany Quenda in the summer.
Under the guidance of Ineos, Manchester United are prioritising the recruitment of young players.
That has been evident with the arrivals of Ayden Heaven, Chido Obi, Sekou Kone and Patrick Dorgu. Perhaps the biggest deal yet – since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took control of football operations – was the arrival of Leny Yoro, after hijacking Real Madrid’s attempts to sign the highly rated French centre-back.
United must continue strengthening the squad in the summer to return to competing for the biggest honours. It doesn’t help that the Reds are having a terrible season in the Premier League, with Ruben Amorim’s side positioned 13th in the table after 24 matches.
There are several areas of the team for Amorim to improve, such as the defence, midfield and attack.
Geovany Quenda of Sporting CP during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Sporting Clube de Portugal ...
Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images
Sporting coach expects Geovany Quenda to join Manchester United
One player on United’s radar all season has been Geovany Quenda.
The 17-year-old is enjoying an impressive breakthrough season for Sporting CP after Amorim gave him his professional debut in August.
Quenda has started 18 league fixtures this season, on top of nine Champions League ties, with the latest coming last night as Sporting suffered a 3-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in the play-offs for a place in the knockout phase of the competition.
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Sporting youth coach Bernardo Bruschy says he would not be surprised to see Quenda arrive at Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.
Speaking to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Bruschy said: “Seeing his name associated with clubs of the biggest size in Europe surprises me just because it is so early, I am not surprised if he gets there.”
Quenda could be the first Sporting player to follow Amorim to United, but the Reds have been linked with several of the head coach’s former players, including Viktor Gyokeres.
Quenda mature for his age
United’s previous recruitment team was heavily criticised for signing the wrong players.
Ineos will want to clean United’s act up in the transfer window by changing that and signing only players who have what it takes to wear the Red shirt every week.
Jadon Sancho is arguably the best example of where the recruitment has gone wrong in recent years, but it sounds like Quenda is a bright kid determined to focus on his football.
Bruschy hailed the youngster for his maturity and how he plays like a player well beyond his years. This bodes well for a prospect heading towards the top.
He added: “Sometimes we forget that Quenda is only 17 years old. His maturity, his quality and the performance he can already give to the team, even though he is so young, are something out of the ordinary.
“And that makes us forget his age, but in fact he is only 17 years old and has a lot to improve and grow, but he is already a player who is at a state of maturity far ahead of what is normal for his age.”