THE BOY'S A BIT SPECIAL

We assess a Chelsea-bound starlet and Bournemouth's new strike ace

- Joe Donnohue

GEOVANY QUENDA

SPORTING, 18

Having already agreed to join Chelsea at the end of this season, Quenda could prove to be the Blues' answer to Bukayo Saka - if the Portuguese winger is given the same trust and pathway.

In the modern era, truly elite players combine footballing talent with frightening athleticism, and Quenda does just that, explaining why Chelsea agreed a £44 million deal to sign him from Sporting back in March. The clubs decided that he would remain with the Portuguese giants during 2025-26, before finally making the move to London next summer.

The Blues' stockpiling of aspiring stars in recent years has been a bone of contention for fans of rival clubs, but one thing you can't knock is their talent spotting. Quenda was born in former Portuguese colony Guinea-Bissau and moved to Lisbon at a young age, before eventually joining Benfica's academy. When those in charge failed to make good on their promises to him, Quenda boldly decided to move across Lisbon to rivals Sporting instead.

The left-footed right winger was one of the standout players for Portugal at last year's Under-17 Euros, then became Sporting's youngest ever player, making his first-team debut aged only 17 years and 95 days. By the time he'd starred for Portugal at this summer's Under-21 Euros, Quenda had already pledged his long-term future to Chelsea.