Amorim ‘directly approves’ first summer signing as Fabrizio Romano provides big Man Utd update

Manchester United are pushing to finalise an agreement to make Geovany Quenda their first summer signing after Fabrizio Romano revealed a move to bring in the Sporting CP wing-back has been given the green light by Ruben Amorim – and the price the Red Devils will likely need to pay for the teenager has also come to light.

Amorim has struggled to get a consistent tune out of his expensively assembled Red Devils squad since taking over as manager from Erik ten Hag back in the autumn and has overseen a meagre nine wins from 21 games ahead of Saturday’s trip to take on in-form Everton. A defeat at Goodison for Manchester United – and they have suffered nine losses so far under their new boss – could see some uncomfortable relegation conversations ramped up a notch as a result.

The problem for United, though, has simply been consistency; there have been flashes of brilliance, but equally some dire performances that have left both Amorim and their supporters throwing their arms up in frustration.

And with his new 3-4-2-1 formation failing to pay dividends so far – and with several senior United players reportedly voicing concerns at the system – Amorim knows he will need to add to his squad this summer to bring his ideas to life and inject some upward momentum into the club.

Such a formation relies heavily on energetic wing-backs who can motor up and down the flank and, having landed the first of those in January – the left-sided Denmark international, Patrick Dorgu, from Lecce – the focus is now shifting on a right-sided equivalent in the form of Quenda.

As a result, trusted reporter Romano has now revealed that a move to bring the 17-year-old to Old Trafford this summer has been given full approval by Amorim, who informed the United board weeks ago he wants a deal done for the talented star.

“[Geovany] Quenda is on the list for sure, he’s been on the list for weeks and months. This remains the case. Nothing to say in terms of deal done now but he’s a player approved directly by Amorim,” Romano told Givemesport.

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Romano’s update follows on from a similar report from our transfer insider, Rudy Galetti, earlier this week, who moved to play down reports that United had already agreed a deal with both Sporting and the player himself over a summer move to Old Trafford.

Galetti wrote: ‘There are NO agreements – neither verbal nor of any other kind – between United and the Portuguese player or between them and his current club, Sporting CP.

‘United, to date, have shown concrete interest but have not made any offer or proposal. Of course, Ruben Amorim appreciates him a lot, having managed him at Sporting, but there are no agreements in place between the parties.

‘That’s why the race for him is still wide open, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayer Leverkusen – among others – monitoring him closely.

‘For example, Barcelona have been following him for months and appreciate his talent and spoke with Jorge Mendes some time ago.’

Galetti added: ‘The Spanish club has scheduled a new meeting to better explore the margins of a possible negotiation. But all the interested clubs will speak again with his agent to keep the contacts alive.’

With interest growing from a number of sides in the player, who has a record of two goals and seven assists from 39 senior appearances for Sporting, the reigning Portuguese champions are understood to be ready to sell if they receive a minimum €50m (£41.4m, $52.3m).

That’s despite Sporting already having placed a €100m (£82.9m, $104.7m) exit clause in the teenager’s contract.

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Meanwhile, trusted Manchester United reporter Mark Ogden has revealed the truths behind Dan Ashworth’s axing as sporting director in December, explaining why INEOS quickly learned they had “hired the wrong guy” and how one of his signings was wholly opposed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Elsewhere, United will also clearly need to add more energy and bite to their midfield this summer and now a report has revealed the crafty plan Amorim has hatched to try and bring a classy young Bayern Munich man to Old Trafford this summer – with a big-name star sacrificed as part of the deal.

And finally, United are among three clubs with confirmed interest in snatching a €90m-rated defender away from the clutches of Real Madrid, with a report claiming plans for a summer transfer are ‘already underway.’

IN FOCUS: Who is Geovany Quenda?

By Nathan Egerton

Born in Guinea-Bissau in April 2007, Quenda moved to Portugal as a child and joined Amadora-based club Damaiense at the age of eight.

He also spent two years in Benfica’s academy before joining their arch-rivals Sporting CP in 2021.

In February 2024, he started a Liga 3 game against Amora and became the youngest-ever player to play for Sporting’s reserve team at the age of 16.

The left-footer showcased his pace and his dribbling ability and caught the attention of first-team manager Ruben Amorim.

“He can play in several positions, he has a lot of quality and irreverence. He is another option,” Amorim said after naming him on the bench for a Europa League tie against Atalanta in March 2024.

Quenda has also shone on the international stage as his performances for Portugal at the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship earned him a place in the Team of the Tournament.

He marked his senior debut for Sporting with a goal against Porto in August 2024 and became the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history at the age of 17 years and 95 days, overtaking the likes of Ronaldo and Simao.

The teenager then became the youngest Portuguese player to start a Champions League match during Sporting’s 2-0 win over Lille in September 2024.

He has also been called up to the senior Portugal squad and was an unused substitute in their 2-1 win over Scotland in the UEFA Nations League.

“The national team coaches always say that age is not a factor. (Quenda) showed incredible personality, quality and adaptability,” Roberto Martinez said.

“He’s a player who likes to make things difficult (for defenders). He has technical quality (that is) not normal for a 17-year-old. He’s now in Sporting’s first team and has shown incredible personality.”

Quenda has since made two appearances for Portugal’s Under-21s and registered an assist in a 2-1 win over Andorra.