Chelsea and Manchester United could both be readying January transfer window moves for the next big thing in Portuguese football, as first reported here by the Daily Briefing.
The name on everyone’s lips at the moment is Sporting Lisbon winger Flavio Goncalves, who has been scouted by a number of Premier League clubs while his current employers desperately look to tie him down to a new contract.
The 19-year-old, who can play on either flank or as a central attacking midfield player, is current under contract until 2030, and it’s understood that he is currently available for a release clause fee of just €60m.
Amid growing interest from Man United, Chelsea, and others, Sporting are keen to get Goncalves to agree a new contract with a release clause closer to €100m, but they’re also braced for offers this January.
Clubs stepping up Flavio Goncalves transfer pursuit
Sporting are desperate not to sell, and will likely point to that €60m release clause, but it will be interesting to see if the player himself perhaps pushes for a move.
Everyone I’ve spoken to has so far been unable to confirm one way or another just how committed Goncalves is to staying at Sporting. There has not been concrete progress on a new contract just yet, so it might be that the youngster and his representatives are waiting to see just how much his suitors push for him this January before deciding.
“Chelsea and Man United have scouted Goncalves extensively and they’re now prepared to make offers directly to Sporting this January, that’s the current expectation,” one source said.
“Sporting know they have a huge talent on their hands, but they hope to get him to agree to a new deal so they can sell him for more money later. There’s every expectation that he could be a €100m player, so they won’t want to lose him on the cheap earlier than they need to.”
Why clubs are tracking Flavio Goncalves
The Blues have a good relationship with Sporting after raiding them for Geovany Quenda in recent times, and they’ll be confident of snapping up another of their best talents.
Scouts from Chelsea and United, as well as unnamed teams from La Liga and Serie A have all been wowed by Goncalves’ “explosive acceleration, one‑on‑one dribbling ability, agility in tight spaces, and direct goal contribution”, according to one source.
All the ingredients are there for this young wide-man to have a fantastic career, so it will be intriguing to see where he ends up for the next stage of his development.
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