There was a lot of satisfaction among Chelsea staff on Friday after news broke of their agreement with Sporting CP to sign Geovany Quenda.
Not only have the club secured a talented player who they deem to be among the top three under-23 wingers in the world — summer arrival Estevao Willian from Palmerias is another (initial €34million/£29m/$37m fee agreed in advance last June) and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal is the third — but they feel delighted all the preparation was done without any leaks about their interest coming to light.
This was not done on a whim. Chelsea have been working on this for two to three months and believe they have beaten Manchester United and a top-three Premier League club to his signature. With negotiations going under the radar, it made them go smoothly.
Chelsea’s willingness to let Quenda stay at Sporting for 2025-26 played a role in them securing the transfer ahead of their rivals, who both wanted him to join this summer.
It also helped them get a discount. The 17-year-old had a €100m release clause in his contract, although many reports since January emanating from Portugal suggested they would accept €60m. However, Chelsea have bought Quenda for £40m, with no add-ons or sell-on clause included, because they were prepared to let him remain in Lisbon for another 12 months.
The deal coming to light outside of a transfer window raises questions about how it transpired. The Athletic answers more of them below.
Why have Chelsea moved for Quenda?
Head coach Enzo Maresca wants to use wingers in his system, so Chelsea have been looking for wide attackers since the Italian was hired in July. They have not just been working on what they want to do in 2025, but 2026 as well.
Chelsea want five wingers for the two roles. Some may wonder why they want more than the customary two per position but events over the last three months have highlighted why. Maresca has been reduced to two fit senior wingers for several weeks due to Mykhailo Mudryk’s suspension for failing a doping test (the club are still awaiting the results of his B sample to determine what happens next). Noni Madueke is also out because of a hamstring strain.
Quenda has impressed for Sporting CP this season (Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images)
Pedro Neto has been used up front recently as forward Nicolas Jackson is also sidelined. Under-21 winger Tyrique George has been promoted to the senior squad to help fill the void.
Chelsea want competition for places and believe Quenda will add even more quality to what they already have, especially as he will have another season of playing in Portugal’s Primera Liga and the Champions League. He has already played more than 40 senior matches but the hope is that he will have at least 100 to his name by the time he turns up at Stamford Bridge.
Simon Johnson
What will be the plan for Quenda at Stamford Bridge?
Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim used Quenda as a wing-back when still at Sporting this season, but Chelsea want him only as a winger.
Stressing this during talks — which were a group effort from co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart as well as Maresca — helped convince Quenda to join. Living in or near London was another factor, while his salary fits within Chelsea’s wage structure.
He can play on both wings, but is more likely to line up on the left flank, partly because Estevao is more accustomed to the right. Chelsea are also looking to add another right-footed wide player to join the squad this summer.
Anyone wondering where Ecuadorian midfielder Kendry Paez, who will officially join this summer after Chelsea agreed a fee (including add-ons) with Independiente del Valle in 2023 when he was just 16, fits into all this? Well, don’t worry. He is being lined up to be an understudy/support for central midfielder Enzo Fernandez, rather than operating on the flanks.
Once Quenda is added alongside Cole Palmer and Estevao, Chelsea feel they will have one of the most exciting attacks in the game. They plan to add a No 9 this summer, too.
Simon Johnson
How close were Manchester United to signing him?
Extensive talks were held over Quenda and, shortly after the winter transfer window closed, it appeared he was set for a summer move to Old Trafford. Amorim regarded Quenda highly after promoting him from Sporting’s academy and seeing him succeed in his 3-4-2-1 system. Some figures at United were confident a deal would be agreed.
Cost was always a consideration, with Sporting initially pitching his price at €60m. Since INEOS took control of football operations, younger recruits have been targeted, but signing such an inexperienced player for that kind of money made them think twice. United are aware they need to balance youth with experience and finances remain tight, with other positions also requiring strengthening.
Having added Patrick Dorgu, 20, for half that fee, the immediate pressure to add a left-footed wing-back option was lessened.
Laurie Whitwell
Dorgu’s arrival decreased United’s need for a left-footed wing-back (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Is this a big blow for Manchester United?
Amorim’s view will be interesting, but only what Quenda does in his career can answer that question. Chelsea first held talks some weeks ago so it would be reasonable to suspect United had knowledge and still chose not to follow through with a concrete offer.
Jorge Mendes, who engineered the Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte deals to United, was the intermediary on Quenda, alongside agent Igor Campedelli. To this end, United sources, kept anonymous to protect relationships, have said they are relaxed over the turn of events.
A potentially crucial detail is that Sporting wanted Quenda loaned back. Other Sporting players are expected to be sold and they want to rely on Quenda for another season. United would not have agreed to that — their reduced budget prohibits them from buying a player this summer and only using him 12 months later.
United gave the impression they were waiting to see what would happen, but Quenda was not about to do the same.
It perhaps represents a departure from the previous regime when several players were recruited from Erik ten Hag’s former club, Ajax.
Laurie Whitwell
What sort of player is Quenda?
Quenda’s physical profile is unique but his intangible qualities make him stand out.
A pacy forward, he is technically sound, making him a tricky assignment for any defender. Quenda couples that with an astute reading of the game and a mature commitment to adapting to what his team needs him to do.
He was a forward during his early years at Sporting’s academy after signing from Benfica in 2019 but Quenda showed defensive acumen, helping him when he has played for the senior side. Quenda was a right wing-back in Amorim’s 3-4-3 setup this season, managing a goal and two assists in 17 matches in all competitions.
Under current Sporting manager Rui Borges, Quenda has shifted to the left wing in a 4-4-2, managing five assists in 17 matches. That tally includes the assist below for Viktor Gyokeres against Porto in the Taca da Liga (League Cup) semi-finals in January, which showcased how unfazed he is by the big occasions. Upon receiving the ball with four players around him, Quenda rolls it back with his left foot before threading the needle with a disguised pass to find Gyokeres, who scores the only goal of the game.
Quenda excels in beating opponents with pace and physicality but in his short senior career, he has shown that his game has more layers. He is superb at dropping into more central areas and receiving the ball with his back to goal, before spinning away from defenders to bear down on goal or win fouls in dangerous areas. Even when teams try to double- or triple-team him, Quenda finds ways to wriggle out thanks to his close control, especially when moving at pace. All of that makes him an asset against low blocks in particular, which Chelsea have struggled to break down.
Quenda tends to get into games through dribbling and he is susceptible to errors in possession and a lack of composure in the final third — but those are parts of his game that can be refined.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Is he ready for the Premier League?
Another year at Sporting will help his adaptation, but as we have seen, the shift from Portugal to the Premier League regularly brings uncertainty.
Chelsea have first-hand experience, given World Cup-winner Fernandez’s initial struggles to acclimatise upon arriving from Benfica in January 2023. Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz began brightly at Liverpool before losing their ways to varying degrees. On the other hand, Ruben Dias and Bruno Fernandes hit the ground running at Manchester City and Manchester United and have not looked back.
Quenda’s arrival at Chelsea could be viewed through a similar lens to Dorgu’s move from Lecce to Manchester United this January. Dorgu has shown he has the skill and physicality to perform in the Premier League, but will need more time before regularly impacting games.
Quenda’s case will likely be similar, though having a pre-season will certainly help. On the surface, his openness to learning and technical ability, along with his pace, should translate well into the Premier League. But moving to the UK is a massive shift, especially for a teenager, and his off-the-pitch adaptation will be crucial, maybe even to a greater degree than what happens on the field.
As with many of Chelsea’s signings over the past couple of years, Quenda will require patience.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
(Top photo: Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images)
