Bernardo Silva's concerning comment about Man Utd transfer target ex-boss wanted to sign

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Manchester United missed out on securing a £50million right winger from Sporting CP whom Bernardo Silva believes is capable of succeeding him in the Portugal squad. Last February, United were linked with emerging talent Geovany Quenda after Ruben Amorim's switch to the Premier League in November 2024.

Reports at the time suggested United had 'verbally agreed' personal terms with the youngster ahead of the summer window. Sporting were understood to have valued the forward at £50m, with Manchester City and Liverpool also reportedly monitoring his situation.

Over the past two seasons, Quenda has registered 24 goal contributions in 66 outings for the Portuguese outfit. His form attracted widespread attention.

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Among his admirers is City's Silva, who forecast a promising future for the 18-year-old. Speaking about the national side, he said: "He will probably steal my place. At 17, I wasn't even playing for Benfica's youth team."

Amorim was equally impressed by the young forward after handing him his debut at his former club. During his time at Sporting, the 41-year-old said: "[He's] very physically robust, very focused, with his feet firmly on the ground. That's very important for a young player.

"He got his chance and there was no chance to take it away, no doubt, nothing. I think he's going to be a great player, but let's give it time."

A year later and Amorim has since been shown the door at United. The head coach endured a turbulent 14 months at the helm at Old Trafford, suffering defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham while setting some deeply unwanted records.

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Meanwhile, Quenda remains at Sporting under Rui Borges, but he has already secured his switch to the Premier League . Just a month after the speculation linking him to United, the teenager agreed a pre-emptive deal to join Chelsea in the summer of 2026, signing a seven-year contract.

With a transfer fee worth up to £40m, the Blues nipped in ahead of Amorim to land the highly-rated winger. Quenda is due to stay at Sporting throughout the 2025/26 campaign before linking up with Chelsea this summer — though an injury has altered his immediate situation.

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Currently, the 18-year-old has been undergoing rehabilitation from a fractured metatarsal at Chelsea's Cobham training facility. It appears his future employers are keen to assist him in preparing for a comeback that could come as soon as next month.

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