Transfer market | Sporting Lisbon, the ‘Lion’ of transfers

07/07/2023 at 19:34

CEST

With Manuel Ugarte’s transfer to PSG, the second most expensive in the club’s history, Sporting Lisbon have grossed more than €400m over the past five years

Portuguese outfit stand out as one of the top recruiting talents and offer footballers a draft with guarantees before making the leap to Europe’s top squads

the sale of Manuel Ugarte to the psg for the value of your release clause, 60 million eurostestifies to the great management carried out by Sporty from Lisbon every season. The Lisbon team signed the Uruguayan just two years ago for just 12.5 million from Famalicão. Undoubtedly the ‘Lions’ distinguish themselves as great recruiters of talent and, at the same time, impeccable salesmen.

The midfielder was the ssecond most expensive sale in team historyafter that of Bruno Fernando to Manchester United in the 2019-20 season, in exchange for 65 million euros. Many think of Borussia Dortmund or Benfica as great ‘factories’ of talent. however, the Sporty Lisbon has made merits in recent years to join this select ‘club’.

Inside last five years -with the pandemic involved- they entered over 400 million euros in turnover, a figure that can rise significantly at the end of this hectic summer transfer market. All of this would not be understood without the ability they have to supercharge players in a short amount of time.

ugarte It is another example of the good work of the “Lions”. They sign players who in Portugal are starting to get noticed at modest prices, even far from the country, and sell them over the years, much more mature and well-groomed, to teams that can offer them the next sporting step. Naturally, in exchange for much more money than initially paid.

The list of the ten most expensive sales in the club’s history shows a clear pattern: the most talented players leave the club quite young, for a significantly higher price than what they have already paid for them and the leading clubs in Europe.

However, there is a lot talent ‘produced’ in Lisbonwhich is shown in the following tableand which reflect the great ability the club has to coach high-level footballers.

Gonçalo Inácioone of the most promising centre-backs in European football, e Pedro Goncalves25-year-old winger who finished 22/23 with 20 and 15 assists in 51 games played, are some of the ‘Lions’ who aim to leave early in exchange for a million. Who will be the next ‘Lisbon factory’ stars to sign for a big club in Europe?