As Manchester United prepare for a first summer window under the Ruben Amorim regime, the club will no doubt be looking to learn a lesson from the woes of his predecessor on the transfer front.
The common thread of Erik ten Hag's recruitment was the desire to acquire players the Dutchman was already familiar with, having signed off on a raft of Ajax-linked deals following his arrival in 2022.
Indeed, in came the likes of Antony, Lisandro Martinez, Andre Onana, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt, presumably with the aim of trying to replicate the title-winning success he had enjoyed in Amsterdam.
Ten-Hag-signings-Man-Utd-timeless
Bizarrely, however, Ten Hag proceeded to state that his United team "can't play like Ajax", as he has "different players", a moment that perhaps signified the downward spiral of his Old Trafford tenure.
As for Amorim, the Portuguese coach appears steadfast in sticking to his philosophy and principles no matter what, with there set to be no compromise on his 3-4-3 setup - no matter the players available to him.
The unique nature of his tactical approach may lend itself to going back to Sporting CP to poach a handful of ready-made, key figures, although one player who won't be enjoying a reunion with the 40-year-old anytime soon is Geovany Quenda.
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The Athletic's David Ornstein had reported back in January that United were considering a summer swoop for the Sporting teenager, with the 17-year-old having been handed his first-team debut in Lisbon by Amorim earlier in the campaign.
Sporting CP's Geovany Quenda in action-1
A winger by trade, the Portuguese sensation had been re-tooled as a wing-back in Amorim's high-flying side, with it having been no surprise to see links emerge with the youngster, amid the need to acquire specialised assets in those wide berths.
As it is, Quenda is set to remain with his current side for the 2025/26 campaign, before linking up with Chelsea next summer, with the Blues forking out a reported fee of £40m to win the race for his signature.
United will then have to look elsewhere to bolster their options on the flanks, albeit while having already acquired a promising talent of their own in the form of Patrick Dorgu, with the young Dane arriving from Lecce in January.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils do have academy star, Harry Amass, to call upon, with the Englishman making his senior debut last time out, while Diogo Dalot has begun to show flashes on the right flank, after scoring in the 4-1 win over Real Sociedad, having also teed up Bruno Fernandes against Leicester City.
Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes celebrate
With Luke Shaw - who hasn't started a game since February 2024 - still sidelined, options in those wide berths remain somewhat limited, however, although perhaps Amorim could soon have his next Quenda to work with, following the signing of Diego Leon.
Man Utd have already signed Amorim's next Quenda
Cherry-picking the odd player from Sporting, rather than following Ten Hag's method too closely, may represent an astute move, yet it would have still represented a real gamble to fork out £40m on a 17-year-old prospect.
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Those funds could be better served elsewhere - not least in acquiring a striker like Viktor Gyokeres - with United having already signed a teen superstar of their own, for a fraction of the cost.
As was reported during the January window, the Red Devils wrapped up a bargain £3m deal to sign the aforementioned Leon from Paraguayan side, Cerro Porteno.
An attack-minded left-footer, like Quenda, the teenager is set to link up with the Premier League outfit this summer, when he turns 18, having already scored three goals in 25 games at senior level.
While the Paraguay U20 international has typically operated at left-back to date, he does seemingly boast the credentials to operate at left wing-back, or even as an inverted option, like Quenda, on the opposite side.
Quenda's Liga Portugal stats - 24/25
Stat (*per game)
Games (starts)
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Key passes*
Pass accuracy*
Tackles*
Interceptions*
Successful dribbles*
Stats via Sofascore
What particularly stands out regarding the 5 foot 10 ace is his relentless speed, having been lauded for his "explosive" quality by analyst Ben Mattinson, who also noted that he "runs like a steam train".
Also described as a "deadly attacking threat", what Mattinson also highlights is that - much like Quenda - he is "essentially a winger/wingback played out of position", showcasing that forward-thinking nature even further.
Dorgu-2
Of course, he may be less of a plug-and-play option like the more senior Dorgu, yet Amorim could view Leon as being his next teenage project, having enjoyed brief, early success with Quenda - four goals and assists chalked up by the youngster in just 18 games under his watch.
The £3m man may need time to bed in, but having been signed on the cheap, it could represent a low risk move, following in the footsteps of the £1.5m capture of Ayden Heaven from Arsenal.
It is still early days, but perhaps INEOS are beginning to find value in the market once again at Old Trafford.
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