Chelsea already signed a bigger star than Quenda in “world-class talent”

Like a thief in the night, Chelsea and Todd Boehly have pounced, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano announcing in the early hours of Friday morning that the Blues have struck an early deal for the signing of Sporting CP starlet, Geovany Quenda.

That swift capture has, quite literally, come as a bolt from the blue, with it having looked for all the world as if the 17-year-old sensation would be making a move to Manchester United this summer, reuniting with his former boss and compatriot, Ruben Amorim.

Indeed, The Athletic’s David Ornstein had reported during the January transfer window that the Red Devils were targeting a summer swoop for the teenager, with Amorim having handed the youngster his first-team debut earlier this season.

As it is, the versatile winger is set to make the move to Stamford Bridge rather than Old Trafford in 2026, with the west Londoners – who are believed to be forking out as much as €50m (£42m) – set to loan Quenda back to his current side for the 2025/26 campaign.

While the Blues will then have to wait a while to see their new man in action, such a deal represents yet another exciting acquisition in the Boehly era.

Why Chelsea have signed Geovany Quenda

The Portuguese starlet is a winger by trade, although had forced his way into Amorim’s side in a right wing-back berth, showcasing a tactical flexibility that will be invaluable to Enzo Maresca and Co.

Not set to turn 18 until next month, the raw talent appears to have the world at his feet, having already chalked up two goals and eight assists in just 43 appearances for the Lisbon side.

Described as a “highly unpredictable” winger by data analyst Ben Mattinson, the Sporting youth product’s strengths lie in his ball carrying and dribbling prowess, shown by the fact that he ranks among the top 16% of his Champions League peers for progressive carries, as well as in the top 15% for successful take-ons per 90.

Sporting CP's Geovany Quenda in action-1

While yet to make an appearance, Quenda has already been called up to the senior Portugal side this season, with national team boss Roberto Martinez stating that he has a “quality that is not normal at 17 years old”.

All the signs point to Chelsea having potentially hit the jackpot with such a signing, with the teen wizard set to provide further competition to an attacking department that already boasts Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto.

That said, Quenda may not be the biggest star who is set to arrive at Stamford Bridge in the near future, with Boehly having already made a handful of statement long-term signings in the recent past.

Chelsea already have a bigger talent than Quenda

Supporters may cry for further depth and quality in the defensive ranks, not least with first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez having made five errors leading to a goal in the Premier League this season, yet the priority for Boehly appears to be to continue raiding the globe for the best and brightest attacking stars.

Indeed, the signing of Quenda has not just come as a surprise due to its timing, with there a question to be asked of whether the club are actually in need of another teenage winger, having already moved to sign Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian.

Estevao, in particular, could represent an even bigger star than the Sporting ace on the flanks, with the 17-year-old Brazilian lauded as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by Mattinson.

Also hailed as a “world-class talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Palmeiras superstar was signed by the Blues back in May 2024 on an initial £29m deal, albeit having had to wait until he turns 18 to move to England ahead of next season.

A dazzling left-footer, in a similar mould to Quenda, the young diamond has already scored 20 goals and provided ten assists in just 58 first-team games for his current side, making the transition to life at senior level with ease.

Already in 2025, Estevao has scored five goals from just 12 league games, while creating two big chances and averaging 2.1 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.

Quenda, for instance, has one goal and four assists in the league in 2024/25, while creating nine big chances and averaging just 1.9 key passes per game, albeit having played 25 times.

Quenda vs Estevao stat comparison
Stat (per 90)	Quenda	Estevao
Non-penalty goals	0.00	0.43
Assists	0.12	0.39
Shot-creating actions	3.25	5.97
Pass completion	74.8%	77.2%
Progressive passes	4.24	3.95
Progressive carries	3.12	6.22
Successful take-ons	1.50	3.61
Touches in opposition box	2.62	6.70
Progressive passes received	5.49	12.49
Stats via FBref

As evidenced by the table above, it is Estevao who comes out on top across a string of attacking metrics across the last 365 days, with excitement brewing over finally seeing him in action when next season rolls around.

As such, with Maresca already boasting a string of right-sided forwards in the form of Madueke, Neto and Palmer – and with Paez and Estevao soon to join the mix – the decision to also fork out for Quenda could be seen as overdoing it, with investment needed elsewhere in the squad.

On the flip side, having such an array of attacking stars to call upon truly is exciting, with the question now as to whether this youth-centric transfer approach will yield tangible success on the pitch.