The 17-year-old is making a big impact at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, and has already lined up a dream move to the Premier League
According to , Manchester United held 'extensive' talks with Sporting CP back in January over the potential signing of Geovany Quenda, and all signs were pointing to a summer move being agreed by the end of the winter transfer window. Ruben Amorim held Quenda in high regard after seeing the 17-year-old slot into his 3-4-3 system seamlessly at Sporting, which made some figures in the United boardroom 'confident' of arranging a reunion between player and coach at Old Trafford.
However, when Sporting set their initial asking price at €60m (£50m/$65m), United flinched, which opened the door for their Premier League rivals. Chelsea acted quickly to steal Quenda right from under United's noses, agreeing a cut-price €48m (£40m/$52m) deal with Sporting that will see him remain in Lisbon for another year before arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2026.
Make no mistake, this is a major coup for Chelsea. Quenda has enjoyed a remarkable rise to prominence at Sporting, which has already earned him a place in the Portugal national squad, and the sky is the limit if he continues on his current trajectory. United, meanwhile, will be kicking themselves for letting such a talented prospect slip from their grasp, especially as he now counts Cristiano Ronaldo as one of his leading mentors.
GOAL takes a look at exactly why there is so much hype around Quenda…
Where it all began
Quenda was born in the West African country Guinea-Bissau in April 2007 and moved to Portugal as a child. He began his football journey with Amadora-based club Damaiense at the age of eight, and soon caught the eye of scouts from Benfica.
The talented attacker spent two years with the Eagles, but wasn't given a room at their club campus after turning 13, and so he decided to join their arch-rivals Sporting. Quenda had to be patient for his chance to shine due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but he helped Sporting win the Under-15s league title in 2021-22 and also stepped up to U17 level.
By August 2023, Sporting had seen enough to hand Quenda his first professional contract, and he soon rewarded the club for their show of faith. He recorded 20 goal contributions in 33 appearances for the U23s last season while also becoming the youngest player to ever turn out for the club's B team at 16.
Amorim was so impressed that he called Quenda up to the first-team squad for two matches. "He can play in several positions, he has a lot of quality and irreverence. He is another option," the then-Sporting boss said after naming Quenda on the bench for the first leg of a round of 16 Europa League tie against Atalanta.
Quenda also shone on the international stage, earning widespread praise for an unbelievable solo goal against Morocco in the prestigious Pinatar U17 Tournament. After picking the ball up in his own half, Quenda displayed incredible balance and skill to dribble past six players before applying a neat finish. It became an instant viral hit, putting Quenda on the map in his homeland.
AdvertisementThe big break
Quenda went on to make Portugal's squad for the 2024 U17 European Championship in Cyprus, playing a key role in their run to the final. The Seleccao lost the showpiece 3-0 against Italy, but Quenda was named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament, having been the perfect foil for eventual Golden Boot winner Rodrigo Mora with his incisive passing in the final third.
Amorim then drafted Quenda into his pre-season camp, much to the delight of his father. “He is 100% ready," Tcherno Quenda told . "We never know what tomorrow will bring, but right now he is ready and very excited."
Quenda backed up his father's words in the annual Five Violins Trophy, producing a standout display in a 3-0 victory over Athletic Club that left Amorim in awe. "He's very talented, very mature and understands the game like an adult," Amorim said to . "He obviously has a lot to grow into, but I think he played an excellent game and we have a player there."
Sporting started looking ahead to the first game of their 2024-25 campaign after that: a blockbuster Super Cup showdown with arch-rivals Porto. Quenda was selected to start the match and transferred his pre-season promise into a memorable senior debut.
Amorim's side raced into a two-goal lead inside 10 minutes, and Quenda made it three shortly before the hour-mark with a thunderous first-time volley that took a wicked bounce off the turf on its way past helpless Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Quenda was visibly emotional after becoming the youngest goalscorer in Super Cup history as he broke down in tears after running over to celebrate with Amorim and the Sporting coaching staff.
Amazingly, Porto battled their way back to 3-3 before Ivan Jaime netted the winner in the extra-time, leaving Sporting shell-shocked, but that didn't detract from Quenda's breakthrough moment. Portugal and AC Milan winger Rafael Leao tagged the 17-year-old in a post on Instagram after the game, with the caption: "Remember the name. This season will have a lot of him."
AFPHow it's going
Leao's prediction has been proven right. Quenda has gone from strength to strength since his debut, and now has ten goal contributions for Sporting to his name from 44 appearances across all competitions this season. Despite losing Amorim to United back in November, Sporting are still on course to defend the Primeira Liga title for the first time since way back in 1954. They are back on top of the table with only eight games to play, and exacted revenge over Porto for their Super Cup defeat by knocking them out of the Taca de Portugal at the semi-final stage, albeit before losing the final to Benfica on penalties.
Sporting also notched a 2-0 home win over Porto on August 31, with Quenda playing 80 minutes before being substituted. The teenager completed 28 of his 34 passes and won 60 percent of his ground duels as Sporting enjoyed the lion's share of possession and bossed the midfield.
Quenda consistently delivered performances of that level in the first half of the season, and Amorim struggled to contain the buzz surrounding him. "He is very complete," Amorim said after the teenager notched an assist in Sporting's 6-1 rout of Nacional. "I also don't want to go on too much, because he is still a kid and we have to be careful in our approach."
By his own admission, Amorim "never expected" that Portugal would come calling, but that's exactly what happened when Roberto Martinez named his squad for September's Nations League matches against Croatia and Scotland. Barely a year after Quenda's wondergoal for the U17s, he found himself rubbing shoulders with the Seleccao's biggest stars, including their age-defying captain Ronaldo.
Martinez could barely contain his excitement when quizzed on the youngster's inclusion, telling reporters: "He showed incredible personality, quality and adaptability. He has technical quality, but it's not normal for a 17-year-old. He played very well in the European Championship with the Under-17s. He's shown that he's ready for the national team. Good news for Portuguese football."
Quenda was ultimately made to wait a bit longer for his Portugal bow, but has been drafted back in by Martinez ahead of the team's Nations League quarter-final double-header against Denmark. That second call-up is another just reward for Quenda, who has been equally as influential under new Sporting boss Rui Borges as he was under Amorim.
AFPBiggest strengths
Quenda is primarily a right winger, but can also operate as a second striker or a full-back. He is blessed with plenty of pace, and can maintain top speed when dribbling, keeping a low centre of gravity that makes him very difficult to knock off the ball.
Sporting can rely on Quenda to show for the ball in tight areas and look for quick passing interchanges to break through the lines. The Portuguese sensation is intelligent with his movement, very direct and extremely confident, which is, in part, a by-product of his imposing physical frame.
According to , Quenda is also a model professional, and gave up a two-week summer holiday to take on extra conditioning sessions with Sporting, to make sure he was ready for what has turned out to be his breakthrough season. Talented players are a dime a dozen, with many unable to fulfil their potential at the highest level, but Quenda has the mentality to be one of the exceptions.