Exclusive: Arsenal's chances of signing £83m new Bukayo Saka suffer major blow, Liverpool frustration too

Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool both made recent enquiries about Geovany Quenda but Sporting have no interest in letting the teenager follow new Man United boss Ruben Amorim to England.

• Exclusive from Graeme Bailey

While Viktor Gyokeres’ stunning hat-trick ensured that it was his name sharing many of the column inches with Ruben Amorim following Sporting CP’s remarkable 4-1 destruction of Manchester City, that Champions League spanking also shone a light on some of the other, as-yet lesser-known talents making a living in Lisbon.

Geovany Quenda, still only 17 years of age, produced another dazzling performance of maturity and threat.

Lining up on the right-hand side of Ruben Amorim’s wing-back system, it was Quenda who assisted Gyokeres’ equaliser and his first of a historic treble with a well-placed through ball in behind a high Manchester City backline.

TBR can now confirm that Liverpool and Arsenal have made enquiries of late. Though convincing Sporting into a sale will be easier said than done.

Sporting have no plans to let Arsenal or Liverpool sign Geovany Quenda

Gyokeres, after taking his tally to 66 goals in 67 Sporting appearances, has a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with The Lions bosses.

Meaning that the striker will be allowed to leave for lower than his £83 million release clause – Gyokeres is keen on a move to England with Arsenal and Chelsea keen – so long as the price is right.

There is no such agreement regarding Quenda, however.

He too has a 100 million euro release clause, with Real Madrid, Atletico, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain all interested. Man United have been linked too, unsurprisingly so as Amorim prepares to swap the Estadio Jose Alvalade for Old Trafford.

Quenda has admirers at Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as well.

Sporting, however, believe that Quenda would be better served staying in Portugal until after the 2026 World Cup.

Arsenal and Liverpool informed the Portuguese champions of their admiration recently, and not for the first time. But Sporting have made it clear both to the player himself and his ever-growing list of suitors that they will not consider a sale at any point in the near future.

Of course, Sporting would be powerless to prevent Quenda’s departure if that clause was triggered. But, as talented as he may be, spending £83 million on a teenager with fewer than 30 first-team appearances under his belt would surely be viewed as too much a leap of faith.

Quenda has been likened to Arsenal superstar Bukayo Saka

Quenda only turned 17 in April.

The versatile right-sider – who likes to cut in on his left foot to slide passes in behind like the one that set Gyokeres away against City – has started three of Sporting’s four Champions League games so far this term, however.

And Bernardo Silva, his fellow Iberian who lined up in sky blue on the night, would not be surprised to see Quenda eventually succeed him on the right-hand side for the Portuguese national team.

“Quenda will probably steal my place. He is playing in a position that I can occupy on the pitch,” Silva told A Bola recently, arguing that the Man City-linked wonderkid is a lot further ahead in his development he was at the same age.

“At 17, I wasn’t even playing for Benfica’s youth team!”

The Manchester Evening News, meanwhile, report that Quenda is being likened to Arsenal talisman Bukayo Saka by Portuguese sources. Like The Gunners’ number seven, Quenda loves to drive infield onto his left foot while puting his pace, vision and trickery to good use.

“I’ve already said everything I had to say about Quenda,” says incoming Man United boss Ruben Amorim.

“He’s a very talented kid, very strong physically, very focused, with his feet firmly on the ground. That’s very important for a young player.

“I think he has to improve a lot in his finishing. The amount of times he comes inside and shoots over the bar… He doesn’t put the ball in the goal well, that’s a detail he has to improve.

“I think he’s going to be a great player, but let’s give him time.”

Meanwhile, former Old Trafford hitman Dimitar Berbatov believes Man United will win the race to sign Viktor Gyokeres under the nose of their Premier League rivals.