This time last year, Geovany Quenda was in the middle of a transfer battle as Man Utd held strong interest in the player, but a year is a long time in football.
As soon as Ruben Amorim became the Man Utd manager, Geovany Quenda instantly became one of the club’s hottest targets.
He eventually gave United a blow last March when he chose to join Chelsea instead, reportedly because he didn’t want to play as a wing-back.
One year on from that choice, United’s regret at not having signed Quenda has transferred to the players instead because of three factors.
Geovany Quenda looking up in Sporting CP jacket.
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Geovany Quenda had doubts about Ruben Amorim, he’s gone
Amorim might have given Quenda his debut, but the youngster was clearly not a fan of how he was being used.
When he chose to join Chelsea, reports emerged that a major reason why he did so is because he wanted to play further forward as a conventional inside forward.
He had acclimatised well to playing as the left-footed right wing-back, but he saw his future as a right-winger, which isn’t a position that existed in Amorim’s setup.
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A year on from making that decision, that doubt has been put to rest because the person who was at the centre of those doubts is no longer the manager of Man Utd.
Quenda backed Enzo Maresca’s project, he’s gone
In contrast to the “suffering” and upheaval at United, Enzo Maresca was steering a calm Chelsea ship in a season they would finish as Club World Champions.
Maresca clearly impressed Quenda, and his style of play was perfectly suited to him as he is a tricky, direct player who cuts inside on his stronger foot.
However, just four days before Amorim was sacked, Maresca was let go by Chelsea on January 1.
The manager whose project convinced Quenda was gone, and Liam Rosenior came in, who is getting found out in the hot seat.
The manager he rejected is gone, and the manager he backed is no longer at the club.
If those two weren’t enough of a blow, the third and final one seals the transfer of regret.
Man Utd and Chelsea are on opposite trajectories
Both Amorim’s and Maresca’s sackings were surprising when they came, but even more surprising is the fact that United are ahead of Chelsea by seven points with seven games left in the season.
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Michael Carrick, whose style of play perfectly fits Quenda, by the way, has guided United into Champions League spots.
Rosenior, on the other hand, isn’t even a sure bet to see out this season, and Chelsea are more likely to be caught by Everton and Brentford than they are to catch United.
It’s a likely scenario that Quenda arrives at Chelsea next season to play in the Conference League, under a manager whom we don’t even know about right now, if Rosenior gets sacked.
In contrast, had he not jumped the gun and waited until this summer to make a decision on his future, he could have joined a club on the rise, in the Champions League, and under a manager who has worked wonders with attacking players in his career.
United’s regret of not signing Quenda has firmly turned into Quenda’s regret of not signing for United.
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