Manchester City and Tottenham continue to be linked with Francisco Trincão. However, according to fresh reports from Portugal, there is one important difference between speculation and reality.
While the Sporting attacker remains associated with a number of Premier League clubs, A Bola report that Saudi side Al Ahli are currently the only club to have made a concrete approach for his signature.
Saudi Arabia the only active option
According to the Portuguese newspaper, Al Ahli are the only club to have opened direct talks with Sporting.
The Saudi side, where former Benfica director Rui Pedro Braz now works as sporting director, are said to be negotiating with the Lisbon club. They are reportedly trying to agree a deal worth around €45m (£37.9m).
That figure sits below Trincão’s €60m (£50.5m) release clause, but remains comfortably within the valuation Portuguese media have repeatedly suggested Sporting could ultimately accept.
It also means Saudi Arabia currently represents the only active route towards a transfer.
Premier League interest remains… for now
That does not mean interest from England has disappeared. A Bola acknowledge Trincão continues to be linked with Manchester City and Tottenham. These are two clubs who have featured in Portuguese reporting over the past week.
The difference, according to A Bola, is that none of those links have yet developed into direct contact with Sporting.
The newspaper adds that Trincão would still prefer a return to the Premier League after his difficult loan spell at Wolverhampton earlier in his career. He believes he has “unfinished business” in England after producing the best campaign of his career with Sporting.
For now, A Bola’s information suggests the race is far less crowded than recent reports have implied. Manchester City and Tottenham continue to be mentioned. But Al Ahli are the only club actually negotiating.