Of all the players incoming Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim will leave behind in Lisbon next week, it is Viktor Gyokeres who is by far and away the most attractive.
Plundering a hat-trick in Sporting’s impressive 4-1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, the Swedish international has now scored 23 goals in just 17 appearances this season.
The 26-year-old has made remarkable progress since joining the Portuguese club from Coventry City in July 2023, scoring 66 goals in 67 appearances.
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Proving to be so prolific in the Portuguese capital, it is little wonder an increasing number of United supporters are pleading with the club’s hierarchy for him to be made Amorim’s first signing.
As much as United could do with a goalscorer of Gyokeres’ reliability, the chances of him following in Amorim’s footsteps and joining him in making the switch to Old Trafford are slim. He is valued in the region of £100million.
Instead, United are understood to be looking at Gyokeres’ Sporting teammate, Geovany Quenda. As reported by the Manchester Evening News on Wednesday, United are tracking the winger and have been doing so since the start of the season.
The Portuguese Under-21 international, who is only 17, has only made 17 senior appearances for Sporting – all of which have been awarded to him this season. He has earned the trust of Amorim and played a key role in the 4-1 win over City, claiming an assist.
Tasked with operating in the right-wing back role under Amorim, the youngster could be a tailor-made fit for the 3-4-3 system the incoming United boss is set to implement at Old Trafford.
Quenda, who has scored twice so far this season, has made that particular role his own so far this season, with his pace and power enabling him to get up and down the pitch. He is a strong athlete, has excellent ball-keeping capabilities, and also appears to be capable of playing in a more advanced role.
The prospect of Quenda following Amorim to Old Trafford, as exciting a move as it may be, is guaranteed to draw comparisons with Erik ten Hag’s obsession with signing players he had either previously worked with, were Dutch or had Eredivisie experience.
United were accused of giving Ten Hag too big a say in the transfer window, often leading to recruitment errors. Very few of his signings have been considered as successes.
Up until the most recent summer transfer window, however, Ten Hag was not surrounded and supported by a team of football specialists. United’s top brass is now packed with elite-level operators, such as Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth.
Ashworth has leaned towards signing young players with potential in the past, meaning Quenda would be perfect for that particular criteria. The winger does not turn 18 until April.
Furthermore, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, earlier this year, spoke about how he essentially wanted United to get ahead of the curve in the transfer market and unearth a future star with potential.
“What I would rather do is find the next [Kylian] Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune just trying to buy success,” Ratcliffe told the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast. “It’s not that clever, is it, buying Mbappe, in a way?
“Anybody could figure that one out. But what’s much more challenging is to to find the next Mbappe, the next [Jude] Bellingham or the next Roy Keane.”
Having made just 17 senior appearances for Sporting, Quenda is yet to establish himself as a player who has made the grade, meaning he would be a signing that falls in line with Ratcliffe’s plan. United started to change their recruitment strategy in the summer, signing nobody over the age of 26, with the capture of Leny Yoro, for example, hopefully a sign of things to come.
Quenda would be of a similar mould, plus he already has a solid understanding of Amorim’s demands and style of play.
United are confident Amorim will bring a new style of play to Old Trafford and Quenda would be a tailor-made fit. Pursuing his signature is likely to earn plenty of backing.
