Rising star Quenda will officially sign for Chelsea after a €45-50 million agreement has been officially struck between Chelsea and Sporting CP. The 17-year-old winger will stay in the country for one more season before finally making his highly anticipated move to Stamford Bridge next July.
A 12-month extension option accompanies a seven-year contract (yup again). It’s a similar path to the one Chelsea has trodden recently in its spending on young talent before they star. Is this another strategy by Chelsea to bring its long list of teenage signings?
Let’s break it down.
Quenda: Sporting’s Next Superstar in the Making
If anyone told me Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leão or anyone else would come out of Sporting CP back in the day, I would have bitten their arm off. Chelsea are now hoping that Quenda, the next name, is the next name on the illustrious list.
Quendra was initially trained under Ruben Amorim as a wingback, but under Rui Borges he has excelled in an advanced wide role. He doesn’t swing his leg too hard, but lacks nothing when he has the ball at his feet: one second, he’s next to a defender; the next, he’s a blur on the wing, whipping in a dangerous cross.
He has made 43 appearances this term, including 10 in the Champions League. Not bad for a 17-year-old.
Why Chelsea Wanted Quenda So Badly
Quenda is no one-trick pony. As a winger, he is his main role, but has the ability to drift into half spaces, resulting in him being a tactical Swiss Army knife. His adaptability is ideally utilized by Chelsea and used strictly as a winger. Blistering Pace & Dribbling
Given that speed kills, Quenda is very much armed and dangerous. He is able to accelerate by as much as he wants, freeing his way past defenders easily. The natural pairing of sharp dribbling with that will turn him into a nightmare for fullbacks.
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