Chelsea have struck a deal to sign Sporting CP’s 17-year-old Geovany Quenda in a secret blitz under the noses of Manchester United.
The Portugal Under 21 international is set to stay at Sporting for the next season before moving to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2026.
The deal is believed to be worth circa £40million and he is set to sign a seven-year deal with the option of an additional 12 months.
January saw United explore a deal for Quenda, who turns 18 in April and previously played under their now head coach Ruben Amorim at Sporting.
It continues Chelsea’s tradition in trying to sweep up the game’s greatest youngsters, with Quenda’s stay at Sporting meaning he can continue his progress for another campaign in the Primeira Liga.
Quenda can be used on either wing, and will walk into a Blues squad also containing other wunderkinds such as Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez, both of whom are due to join this summer.
Chelsea have agreed a shock deal to sign Manchester United target Geovany Quenda
The move will come as a blow to Ruben Amorim, who had earmarked him as a future signing
Quenda is said to have been enticed by Enzo Maresca’s plans and Chelsea’s long-term project
The fast-paced left-footer has appeared 35 times for Sporting this season, including being a regular in the Champions League.
He set up Viktor Gyokeres for one of his goals against Manchester City in Sporting’s 4-1 win in November.
In February United sent scouts to watch Quenda in action as Sporting paid a trip to Porto, according to Record.
Amorim has been intent on putting his stamp on the side ever since being handed the reins at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese has been forced to deal with various growing pains as he attempts to acclimatise the players he inherited to his preferred 3-4-3 system.
United were said to have been tracking Quenda before Amorim was named the club’s head coach in November.
After spending time in rivals’ Benfica’s youth academy, Quenda joined Sporting in 2019 at the age of 13.
Amorim immediately earmarked Quenda for his potential, and he became the youngest player ever to represent Sporting’s reserve team at the age of 16.
Quenda, just 17, has been an important player for Sporting this season, playing 43 times
Amorim described him as ‘mature’ over the summer but admitted he has ‘a lot to improve on’
At the start of the current campaign Quenda was integrated into Sporting’s first-team, with Amorim raving about his performance at right wing-back after impressing in a pre-season friendly.
‘He’s very talented, very mature and understands the game like an adult,’ Amorim told Sporting TV in July.
‘He obviously has a lot to improve on, but I think he had an excellent game and we have a player there.’
Born in Guinea-Bissau, Quenda chose to represent Portugal internationally and has featured at both U17 and U21 age groups internationally.
In August Portugal boss Roberto Martinez handed Quenda his first senior call-up for Nations League clashes with Croatia and Scotland, though he did not feature in either game.
Quenda has played 43 times this season, scoring twice and setting up eight goals.
Amorim used him in a wing-back role towards the start of the season but he has since been redeployed higher up on the right wing.
