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Judging by the transfer rumours since Ruben Amorim’s arrival, it almost seemed a formality that Manchester United would sign Geovany Quenda in the summer.
The right wingback slot badly needs quality and the Portuguese wonderkid had reportedly agreed personal terms with the Red Devils and was ready to move to Manchester even if there was no European football on offer at Old Trafford.
Instead, Fabrizio Romano dropped a bombshell earlier today claiming that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Sporting CP for the 17-year-old.
The Athletic‘s David Ornstein explained how the Blues pipped the 20-time English league champions to the deal. He said that the Stamford Bridge side not only offered a longer deal but also agreed to play Quenda in his favoured position.
Quenda to Chelsea
Sporting were also happy to agree to the proposal as the versatile star will remain in Lisbon till 2026 while the three-time European winners would have wanted Quenda to join immediately given the urgent need to replace Diogo Dalot.
Interestingly, the Blues will allow Quenda to play as a winger instead of a wingback, which the player prefers. While Amorim was at the helm, he had to play as either a wingback or a No 10.
“The 17-year-old will remain at the Portuguese club next season and then move to Stamford Bridge in July 2026. A seven-year contract until 2033, with an option to extend by 12 months, is in place.
“The fee is in the region of €45-50 million; not far off what Manchester United were aiming to pay when exploring a deal for Quenda in January.
How Chelsea won the race
“Chelsea intend to deploy him as a pure winger given he is equally comfortable on either side, a position he has predominantly occupied since Amorim left for Old Trafford.”
How United react now will be interesting to see especially considering all the hard work they put in behind the scenes regarding the deal.
There have been links with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, but he also has Manchester City hot on his tail and given INEOS’ financial situation, the club can ill-afford a bidding war.
Braga’s Roger Fernandes is another star on United’s radar. Dalot’s future is also up in the air with both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich reportedly chasing his signature.
Feature image Ahmad Mora via Getty Images
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