The 17-year-old is making a big impact at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, and could be bound for the Premier League if he stays on his current trajectory
"The most important department at the club is the scouting department," Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said in 2019. "Txiki Begiristain's department is much more important than the manager and players. When they choose well, 80 percent of the job is done."
It's certainly true that Begiristain's work behind the scenes as City's director for football has been vital to their success over the past decade. Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, Aymeric Laporte, Ederson, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva were all signed on the Spaniard's watch, while he also played a vital role in unearthing young gems like Oscar Bobb, and South American duo Julian Alvarez and Claudio Echeverri – the latter of whom will join the club from River Plate next year.
City have become world leaders when it comes to squad building, looking to established names when necessary but also putting in the groundwork to identify potential stars of the next generation. Geovany Quenda falls into that second bracket, and according to Portuguese outlet Record, the 17-year-old has blown away Man City scouts with his remarkable rise to prominence at Sporting CP, which has earned him a place in the Portugal national squad.
Sporting could face a real fight to keep Quenda beyond this season, then, as City continue to track his progress, but is all the hype justified? GOAL takes a look…
Article continues below
