Ruben Amorim could live to regret Man Utd transfer promise after Chelsea 'hijack deal'
Ruben Amorim's transfer promise to former club Sporting CP seems to have worked in Chelsea's favour, who have already reportedly agreed a deal to sign Manchester United target Geovany Quenda
by Fasika Zelealem · The MirrorRuben Amorim could be left to rue his decision not to swiftly raid former club Sporting CP after Chelsea agreed a deal to sign highly-rated talent Geovany Quenda, who was on Manchester United's radar.
Reports of Enzo Maresca's side agreeing a transfer in principle for the Portuguese star broke on Thursday night and came as a shock, considering the reported interest United had in the 17-year-old. Quenda – who can play as a winger and wing-back – made his professional debut earlier this season under Amorim before the head coach left his native country to replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Upon his arrival in Manchester, the 40-year-old promised not to raid his former club given the likes of Victor Gyokeres and Goncalo Ignacio have routinely been linked with moves away from Sporting. He said: "I will not sign any Sporting player at Man United in January… then, what happens in the summer I don’t know. Sporting players are good players. We will see what happens…"
With Amorim staying true to his promise and opting to sign Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven in the January transfer window, the Blues swooped in and captured Quenda's signature – with a fee of £40million reportedly agreed – although he is not set to join the club until 2026.
As the teenager is now off the market, Amorim has been left with a real dilemma in who'll be his long-term right wing-back which has been a problem position for United this season. While he did welcome two new rivals in January, the United boss admitted that it was a risk not to bring in more players suited to his 3-4-3 system amid their league struggles.
"I know when I chose this profession that you have the risk of results ,and I knew when I came here I looked at the schedule, I looked at the team, it was my decision and changing everything in the middle of the season without new signings is a danger for a coach," he said earlier this year.
"But I have a clear idea of what I want to do and I take these risks because in the end it's going to pay off. But I'm not naive, I said that many times, this is a sport of results and we are in a difficult situation."
While United sit down in 14th in the Premier League table, they've advanced to the quarter-finals of the Europa League after a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Thursday. A Bruno Fernandes hat-trick and stoppage-time goal from Diogo Dalot made sure of United's 5-2 win on aggregate as they now take on Lyon for a spot in the final four. In the meantime, United reunite with Ruud van Nistelrooy as they face his troubled Leicester City on Sunday before the international break.
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