Chelsea have agreed a £42.9 million deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign Geovany Quenda from under the noses of Manchester United and other European clubs competing for the Portuguese teenager.
Quenda, 17, was a target for United head coach Ruben Amorim after he introduced him to senior football at Sporting, where he established himself in the first team and quickly attracted the attention of Europe’s top clubs.
Other Premier League clubs were keeping a watching brief on the young winger, with RB Leipzig leading the chase among Bundesliga clubs – but Chelsea have moved swiftly to secure Quenda’s signature and will loan him back to Sporting for the whole of next season.
It is understood the package for the deal is worth €51 million, with sources saying the deal suits all parties as it gives Quenda continuity at Estadio Jose Alvalade but is also a long-term prospect at Chelsea and part of their strategy to recruit the best young players on lengthy contracts.
The clubs have agreed on the terms of the deal, with Quenda becoming a Chelsea player in the 2026-27 campaign when he will be 19.
As reported by Telegraph Sport, United were scouting Quenda before Amorim’s appointment earlier this season. They were watching the winger, who also plays wing-back, well before Erik ten Hag was sacked and his successor was targeted.
Amorim introduced Quenda to the first-team this season and he continued his excellent form into the Champions League win over Manchester City in the group stages, setting up one of Viktor Gyokeres goals.
While Amorim has played him as a wing-back in his 3-4-3 system, Quenda can also plays as a forward.
Chelsea should be excited with Ronaldo-esque coup
Arch ball-carrier: Quenda’s ball-carrying has been his stand-out attribute this season – moving the ball up the pitch quickly. In the Primeira Liga, he ranks among the top full-backs/wing-backs for total carries (defined as when a player moves the ball five metres or more); progressive carry distance (total distance that a player moves the ball upfield with their carries) and long progressive carries (total number of carries that moved the ball more than 10 metres upfield).
Pedigree: Like Amorim, he started at Benfica but ended up at Sporting, switching academies. At 16 he was already the top scorer for Sporting’s Under-23 team and was called into Amorim’s first-team squad though he was unused last season.
Ronaldo-esque: He will eventually be deployed as a forward like Cristiano Ronaldo but has shown his potential at wing-back so far. At 17 he became the youngest player to score in the Portuguese league, which was a record Ronaldo held before. He is also the Sporting’s youngest Champions League player.
On Roberto Martínez’s radar: “I like Quenda’s example because that’s what it is. He’s shown personality, quality and an incredible ability to adapt. A player who likes to get things off balance. Technical quality, but a quality that isn’t normal at 17. He played very well at the European Under-17 Championship,” the Portugal manager said.
