Chelsea have agreed a deal in principle with Sporting CP to sign Geovany Quenda, who is expected to sign a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge with an option for an extra season after a fee of about £40m.
The Portuguese starlet, who is still 17, would not arrive at Chelsea until July 2026, after spending next season back on loan with Sporting CP where he’s broken into the first team and is playing regularly. The teenager has netted a goal and registered four assists in 25 league appearances this season.
Geovany Quenda had been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United to reunite with his former boss Ruben Amorim, after breaking into Sporting first-team under his tutelage. However, Chelsea, who have a host of wide options, believe the 17-year-old is versatile enough to play on either side and can compete well in the Premier League.
Reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has reportedly revealed that Man United are shocked to have missed out on Quenda to Chelsea. The Portuguese winger has already completed his medicals and will join the Pensioners at the end of 2025/26 season.
“It was a big shock, to be honest, in the industry, not just for Man United, but also for more clubs interested in and following the player,” Fabrizio Romano exclusively told GIVEMESPORT.
“They were not expecting Chelsea to be that fast. Okay, the interest could be a point, but there were zero leaks on this story and Chelsea have been very fast and very good also in keeping everything private.
“So, it was a big shock [at Manchester United], that’s for sure.”
Chelsea swoop Geovany Quenda under the noses of Man United
Since making his senior debut for Sporting earlier this season, Quenda has established himself a regular in the first team, clocking 43 appearances thus far. He has recorded two goals and eight assists, operating in multiple positions across midfield and attack in his breakout season at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
The Portugal under-21 international has also got a taste of Champions League football. He has already made 10 appearances and registered an assist against Manchester City in Sporting’s 4-1 win in November—Ruben Amorim’s final match in charge of the Lions before he left to join Man United.
Quenda, regarded as one of the best talents in Portuguese football, will now look to finish his debut campaign strongly before improving further next season. Chelsea are well-stocked in wide areas of the pitch, so the Guinea-Bissau born talent will potentially face a lot of competition when he officially joins the club in the summer of 2026.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
