Idolises Ronaldo, plays like Saka - meet £40m Chelsea winger Quenda

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Quenda agreed a deal to join Chelsea 16 months ago By Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter Published 9 minutes ago Chelsea 's newest signing Geovany Quenda hopes to follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo by leaving Sporting's academy for the challenge and exposure of the Premier League. Often compared stylistically to Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka, Quenda's journey began with an episode that has since become part of his personal folklore. Arriving at an early training session at grassroots club Damaiense wearing jeans and shoes, he was initially told he could not take part. But after producing an effortless first touch and dribble when the ball came his way, coach Ana Correia persuaded club officials to "make an exception" for Quenda, as she later recalled in an interview with Sabado. Quenda's path to the top was far from conventional. Born in Guinea-Bissau, he moved to Portugal at the age of seven and had to adapt quickly to a new environment. That journey took him from the Damaiense's under-10s to Benfica's academy before he joined city rivals Sporting, where his development propelled him to prominence in Portuguese football. Now at Chelsea , having reportedly agreed to join as far back as March 2025 but only just formally unveiled on a contract until 2034, the Portugal Under-21 international has the opportunity to showcase his talent on an even bigger stage. Chelsea announce £40m Quenda signing Published 12 hours ago 'It was the moment I realised this guy is special' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Quenda has made 86 appearances for Sporting When Quenda joined Chelsea , he was accompanied by his father, mother, sisters, friends, agents and his godfather Basaula Lemba, a former top-flight footballer in Portugal who also won 10 caps for Zaire. Lemba played an important role in Quenda's early development before Benfica brought him into their academy system in 2017. Sporting and Porto had also been tracking him at the time, according to former youth coach Fabio Roque. "We saw him as an under-10 player playing against us for Benfica," Roque told BBC Sport. "We knew from our scouting team that he was a good player and had tracked his progress through the Portuguese Football Federation website. "He was incredible and different. His discipline was not always great and he was still raw, but his attitude was excellent. He was demanding of himself, confident, unpredictable, brave and had a great relationship with the ball." There was a "non-aggression pact" between Portugal's three biggest clubs - Benfica, Sporting and Porto - but after Quenda scored against Sporting in a key match for Benfica, he eventually made what Roque described as a "natural" move to Sporting. From 2019, when he switched academies, the torment started to work the other way. "I remember one match against Benfica - a very important game," Roque said. "It was a difficult week before Christmas. We'd just suffered a heavy defeat and o