Chelsea takes wunderkind before Amorim!

Ruben Amorim had his eye on him back at Sporting and, despite being aware of his flaws, wanted to bring him to Old Trafford. Reports even suggested that Manchester United had already agreed on a 50 million euros transfer for Geovany Quenda to the Premier League.

However, it turns out that this was only partially true. Quenda does want to move to England, but it seems his destination will be Chelsea instead.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that the young winger has already passed his medical tests, though the deal’s finalization will wait until the end of the year. Quenda will turn 18 in April, meaning he could move abroad as early as the summer, but Chelsea is willing to wait. Since Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge, the club has focused on signing young players with high potential, and Quenda fits that mold perfectly.

But don’t mistake young player for just another long-term project. He has already played 43 matches for Sporting’s first team this season, scoring two goals and providing eight assists. In August, Portugal’s national team coach called him up for the first time, and although he has yet to debut, he was on the bench for matches against Scotland and Croatia.

United had been monitoring Quenda even before Amorim took over as their manager. In February, the club sent scouts to watch him in Sporting’s away clash against Porto to determine whether he could fit into Portuguese’s preferred 3-4-3 system—a formation that has been problematic for United’s current squad.

Amorim himself didn’t need much convincing. He knows Quenda well from their time together in Lisbon. A former Benfica academy player joined Sporting at the age of 13. By 16, he had become the youngest player in Sporting's U23 team history, and Amorim frequently invited him to train with the senior squad before officially promoting him last summer.

“He's very talented, very mature, and understands the game like an experienced player. Of course, he has a lot to improve, but he has the game,” Amorim said during preseason, when Quenda played as a right wing-back before moving further forward to a winger role.

However, when it came to choosing his future, Quenda turned his back on Amorim. Reportedly, he was more impressed by Enzo Maresca’s vision at Chelsea.

PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHDAY 29

Saturday

18:00: (2.15) Everton (3.35) West Ham (3.80)

18:00: (3.90) Ipswich (3.50) Nott.Forest (2.05)

18:00: (1.70) Man.City (4.35) Brighton (4.70)

18:00: (3.60) Southampton (3.45) Wolverhampton (2.05)

20:30: (1.80) Bournemouth (4.10) Brentford (4.40)

Sunday

16:30: (1.85) Arsenal (3.70) Chelsea (4.60)

16:30: (2.10) Fulham (3.60) Tottenham (3.60)

22:00: (4.50) Leicester (3.50) Man.Utd. (1.83)

***odds are subject to change***