Ruben Amorim previously coached Geovany Quenda
Ruben Amorim has seen his side miss out on Geovany Quenda
Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Sporting CP star Geovany Quenda, beating Manchester United to the youngster's signature.
The Blues have continued their philosophy of signing the world's best young talent, and the 17-year-old will remain in Portugal until July 2026 when he will then be permitted to move. The west London side will see the arrivals of superstars Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian from Independiente Valle and Palmeiras respectively in the coming summer with the duo having turned 18, having earlier been signed on similar advanced deals.
Quenda will join the club on a seven-year deal until 2033, with the possibility of extending the contract by a further year in place. The Portugal under-21 international has already completed a medical.
The transfer sees Chelsea overcome interest from Premier League rivals United, despite Quenda having played under Ruben Amorim already. The Blues have footed up a fee between £37.8million and £41.9million per the Athletic, a figure in the region of what the Red Devils were prepared to pay when they were exploring a deal earlier this year.
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Quenda has already made 43 appearances this season, including 10 in the Champions League where all but two outings were starts. The teenager has delivered two goals and eight assists from the right flank in his breakout season after being handed his debut by Amorim.
While at Sporting, United's boss made his admiration clear for the teenager's abilities and called him a “very talented kid”. The 40-year-old added: "[He’s] Very physically robust, very focused, with his feet firmly on the ground. That's very important for a young player.
“He got his chance and there was no chance to take it away, no doubt, nothing. I think he's going to be a great player, but let's give it time."
Geovany Quenda was handed his debut by Ruben Amorim
Geovany Quenda has shown plenty of ability aged just 17 ( Image: Jürgen Fromme - firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
Quenda has also captured the attention of his compatriots who are still playing. Manchester City ace Bernardo Silva believes that Portugal may have already found his successor.
He previously said: “He will probably steal my place. At 17, I wasn't even playing for Benfica's youth team.”
In October, Quenda became Sporting's youngster-ever goalscorer at 17 years, five months and 27 days, after scoring against Famalicão. The young star surpassed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo as he also claimed another of the superstar's landmarks by becoming the youngest player in the club's history to figure in the Lisbon derby against Benfica.
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