The excitement is high over Geovany Quenda becoming a Chelsea player, however his most recent performance in the Champions League reminded everyone that he is by no means the finished article.
Despite being just 18 years of age, Quenda has established himself as a key player in the Sporting side, as he gets up to speed before his pending move to Stamford Bridge.
His performances in the Champions League have been a particular strong point. Thierry Henry was wowed by Quenda after he scored in Europe earlier this season.
In what was a key game for the Portuguese side, Sporting were held to a 1-1 draw by Juventus on Tuesday night.
Juventus FC v Sporting Clube de Portugal - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4
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Geovany Quenda criticised for performance in Champions League
The youngster was replaced early in the second half, and Portuguese media actually criticised the winger for his performance.
A Bola believe Quenda was actually at fault for the goal, with his lack of defensive work on the wing proving costly after they had already taken the lead.
After giving him a 5/10, they said: “It wasn’t one of Quenda’s best nights, mainly due to his lack of defensive sharpness in supporting Vagiannidis and locking down the flank where Yildiz, Thuram, and Cambiaso were dominating. This resulted in the Italian goal and other headaches, which the youngster couldn’t compensate for in his attacking actions.”
After signing Estevao Willian there are high expectations for the Portuguese star to reach his level as soon as he moves to Stamford Bridge, however this could be the warning that Enzo Maresca needs that he is by no means perfect yet.
Geovany Quenda in action during Napoli vs Sporting CP
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Chelsea’s Geovany Quenda plan
One of the most concerning parts of the Quenda criticism is that he actually has experience playing in the wing-back role, however clearly struggled with the defensive side of this game.
Despite featuring there before, it seems there are no plans for the Blues to make the most of these abilities when he joins the club.
Quenda is seen as a winger by Chelsea, however the issue will be finding a spot for him in the side when he does join.
Estevao, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto are all competing for minutes at the moment, and another player being added to the mix will only complicate things further for Maresca.