Chelsea have reportedly agreed a €50 million deal to sign Sporting CP teenager Geovany Quenda from under the noses of Manchester United.
A star at youth level for both club and country, the 17-year-old has introduced himself in style since Ruben Amorim handed him his first-team debut for Sporting at the start of the campaign in the Portuguese Super Cup final against Porto and scored a stunning goal.
But now he’s seemingly chosen not to reunite with Amorim at United, what can Chelsea fans expect? Here, we’ll outline everything you need to know about Quenda, digging into some data and analyzing his evolution as a player.
Position
A pure winger, with his main strengths coming in the attacking phase, the Portugal U21 international has shone in an unfamiliar wing-back role on the right so far this season and has four assists and one goal in the league.
Though his youthful enthusiasm and energy have helped mitigate his defensive shortcomings to an extent, Chelsea would surely use him in a more traditional role on the wing.
By the numbers
*Stats based on Liga Portugal 2024-25 only
Pass accuracy: 82.5%
Shots: 35 (8 on target)
Expected Goals: 2.94
Expected Assists: 3.90
Successful tackles: 33.3%
Successful ground duels: 51.8%
Successful aerial duels: 42.3%
Strengths
Regardless of where he plays, the 17-year-old’s trademark abilities don’t change much: relentless dribbling in wide areas, the willingness to take on opponents, and eagerness to set up combination passes with his teammates as he progresses into the box.
Additionally, Quenda’s amazing change of pace gives him another weapon in attacking areas and his 2.40 chances created per 90 minutes has him in the top 5% of wingers/wide forwards in Portugal’s top flight.
Quenda’s acceleration from a standing start makes him particularly hard to stop and, though he has scored only once, there’s plenty of power and precision in his left foot when he confidently cuts inside.
Being so fast and nimble, with top-class dribbling skills to match, Quenda can successfully take on defenders even when facing a double-team, a trait that often comes in useful when facing sides that sit behind the ball.
How he can improve
His defensive contribution is likely to be less of an issue at Chelsea (as opposed to when featuring as a wing-back) as he’ll probably play higher up the pitch with a covering full-back. Yet, there are technical issues to correct in his defensive work such as pressing in a coordinating manner — i.e. pressing collectively rather than closing down the defender on the ball (in a burst) regardless of the position of his fellow attackers/midfielders.
Furthermore, as Quenda tends to attempt to regain the ball from a chasing position, the timing of his tackles need to improve — otherwise he just ends up giving away free-kicks. Given his relative modest physique, he doesn’t offer a great deal when it comes to muscling opponents off the ball. However, this has more to do with experience and smartness rather than any physical limitations. Considering his intense nature there’s room for him to make more interceptions too.
In attack, he could offer more end product. As a high-volume finisher (nearly two shots per 90 minutes), more of his shots should end up on target and his finishing technique from distance is not yet on par with Saka/Ethan Nwaneri (who have comparable profiles) when it comes to execution skill, precision, or speed.
In quotes
“More than a versatile player, he brings balance and technical ability, not just the position. He is a player with magic and who can make the difference in the final third. He is a player with a spectacular future and his experience of being in the national team, whether he plays on the pitch or not, is important.” — Roberto Martinez, Portugal head coach
“He is so committed in defensive moments and defensive duels. He plays so well there because the space that he covers on the field is huge. Geo is so demanding with himself in the defensive moments. To close, to recover fast, to win the defensive duels for his team-mates. It reminds me of [Arsenal winger] Bukayo Saka in the beginning of his career when he played as a full-back.” — Fabio Roque, Quenda’s youth coach at Sporting
Who else was linked?
Manchester United were the most heavily linked, given his previous work with Amorim, but every top club in Europe has watched Quenda at some point.
How he could fit at Chelsea
As his long-term prospects as a wing-back are doubtful — especially outside Portugal — he should find a system set up to match his abilities at Chelsea.
Receiving the ball more in the attacking half (with defensive cover behind him) should allow Quenda to focus on the take-ons, bursts of accelerations and gravity-defying turns in dangerous positions. He is so strong at controlling the ball under pressure before initiating his next movement in a flash, so that should serve him well.
The same goes for his ability to set-up combinations and move the ball on quickly. While he does rely on his stronger left foot to a significant extent, he’s perfectly capable of utilizing his right too — even for finishing purposes. This means that he should have no issues of playing on either wing, though his goal threat logically drops when playing on the other side.
Quenda is likely to become a target for rough marking and physical play to a greater degree in the Premier League, as there will be less protection from the referees, so he will need to toughen up quickly.
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