Manchester City will reportedly compete with Manchester United to sign 25-year-old Portuguese international Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP this summer.
According to a report by Portuguese outlet A Bola, Francisco Trincao is the subject of interest from Manchester City. The Sporting CP winger is also a target for Manchester United heading into the summer transfer window. While Hugo Viana is pushing City to land the Portuguese international, Ruben Amorim is the driving force behind the Red Devils’ chase.
Francisco Trincao and his resurgence
Francisco Trincao has resurrected his stuttering career since joining Sporting CP from Barcelona. A native of Viana do Castelo, he rose in prominence during his spell with SC Braga, with his exploits compelling Barcelona to secure his services in August 2020.
However, the 25-year-old could not establish a foothold in the first-team squad at the Catalan club. A loan spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers did not work either, and Sporting CP handed him an escape route, initially by completing a loan move in July 2022 before sealing a permanent deal 12 months later.
The Portuguese international has come leaps and bounds since returning to his homeland, rediscovering his best touch. Trincao has enjoyed an excellent 2024/25 campaign thus far, contributing to 22 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions by finding the back of the net nine times and providing 13 assists. His progress has not gone unnoticed, alerting several high-profile clubs across Europe, including Manchester United and Manchester City.
Premier League return on the horizon?
Manchester United’s interest in Francisco Trincao is understandable. The Red Devils are scouring the market for a versatile attacker heasing into the summer transfer window as Ruben Amorim looks to mould the squad in his image. So, the Sporting CP winger has emerged as a viable target, considering his suitability for Amorim’s system at Manchester United.
As for Manchester City, the Premier League champions are keen on reinforcing their offensive unit in the summer transfer window ahead of their impending rebuild in the wake of a disastrous 2024/25 campaign. So, Hugo Viana has identified Trincao as an ideal target for Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Trincao has a release clause worth €80 million in his contract with Sporting CP. However, it will not be surprising to see Manchester City and Manchester United push for a lower transfer fee. But with Barcelona having a 50 per cent sell-on clause in the agreement with Sporting, the Portuguese outfit might prefer as high a sum as possible.
