In the CIA World Factbook, Portugal’s principal exports are listed as follows: cars, clothes, petroleum, vehicle parts, and plastics. There is one glaring omission from the list. Footballers.
During the last 10 years, Portuguese clubs have turned a combined profit of about £2billion in transfer dealings with their English counterparts, according to the CIES Football Observatory.
The most famous transfer of all, Cristiano Ronaldo’s £12.25million move from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United in 2003, gave the Premier League a glimpse of the jewels available in Portugal. They have not stopped shopping there since.
Ronaldo was a product of the Sporting youth system that continues to churn out outstanding young footballers. Benfica’s is the same. Porto shop cleverly in South America. Year after year, Braga punch above their weight.
The coaches are not bad, either. A trend started by Jose Mourinho has led us to Ruben Amorim, the 39-year-old who takes charge of his first game as Manchester United boss this weekend. Amorim is certain to look to his homeland to improve his squad and many of his Premier League rivals will do the same. Do not be surprised if that £2bn figure has doubled within the next decade.
Here Mail Sport looks at the top prospects Premier League clubs should be watching. We have included the players’ valuations on respected website Transfermarkt, though many will move for far greater sums.
SAMU AGHEHOWA
Age: 20
Club: Porto
Country: Spain
Position: Striker
Recently changed his surname from ‘Omorodion’ to ‘Aghehowa’ to honour his mother and now has ‘Samu A.’ on the back of his shirt. However he wishes to be addressed, the Porto man’s performances are making him unforgettable.
Chelsea came close to signing Samu last summer as part of the deal that took Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid, only for that transfer to collapse at the 11th hour.
Gallagher still moved to Spain but Joao Felix, rather than Samu, ended up at Stamford Bridge. Samu switched instead to Porto for £12.5million and Chelsea’s loss has been the Portuguese giants’ gain.
Samu tore Manchester United apart in their Europa League meeting in October and made his senior international debut for Spain this week.
He has 12 goals in 13 matches this term, averaging more than three shots per game – usually of high quality. One day Chelsea may get their man but they will face fearsome competition next time.
Possible landing spots: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle
Transfermarkt value: £29.1million
CONRAD HARDER
Age: 19
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Country: Denmark
Position: Striker
When scouting strikers, analysts will always look at shot volume – how many times a player strikes for goal per 90 minutes.
For context, Cristiano Ronaldo has taken aim 5.61 times per match on average across his career, Lionel Messi 5.10, Sergio Aguero 4.41 and Robert Lewandowski 4.30. After 37 games recorded by respected platform StatHead, Harder’s ratio is an astonishing 5.29.
It is a small sample size, he has been playing for Sporting only this season and the number will inevitably drop. But he is certainly worth following – especially as market wizards Brighton were also interested in him.
The best clubs understand long in advance when they might have to sell their top players. Realising Viktor Gyokeres would probably leave in summer 2025, Sporting brought in Harder 12 months earlier.
But Harder is progressing so quickly that he might catch even the Portuguese champions on the hop.
Possible landing spots: Manchester City, Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool
Transfermarkt value: £13.3m
RODRIGO MORA
Age: 17
Club: Porto
Country: Portugal
Position: Attacking midfielder
First the good news: When Mora made his first-team debut inside the Arctic Circle for Porto in a Europa League defeat at Bodo/Glimt last month, he became the second-youngest player to appear for the Dragons in European competition.
Now the bad news: the youngest is Fabio Silva, who is probably the biggest transfer flop in Wolves’ history and is currently trying to get his career going at Spanish club Las Palmas – with some success, it has to be said. He is proof, however, that teenage success does not always lead to an elite career.
Those who have followed Mora since childhood are not surprised at his rise – but the man himself is. ‘I wasn’t prepared for this,’ he has admitted. ‘I didn’t think I would reach professional football so soon.’
Even though Portugal lost in the final of the European Under 17 Championship to Italy, Mora was still crowned player of the tournament. When you can create and score like he can, the goal must be to win the senior championship one day.
Possible landing spots: Brighton, Arsenal, Tottenham
Transfermarkt value: £8.3m
ANDREAS SCHJELDERUP
Age: 20
Club: Benfica
Country: Norway
Position: Forward/winger
Sometimes life imitates art. When Schjelderup joined Benfica in January 2023, he had long been a favourite for fans video game Football Manager. Something to do with lots of ‘green numbers’, apparently (you’re speaking to someone who hasn’t played it since 2001).
Whoever put together Schjelderup’s profile knew their stuff. Benfica are one of the finest judges of young talent in the global game and they would not pay £8m for a teenager without thinking long and hard.
The sellers, Danish club Nordsjaelland, have a similar reputation. Schjelderup also had trials with Liverpool, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
The 20-year-old, who can play on both flanks, has already made more than 100 senior appearances. He has a £100m release clause and is represented by one of the world’s leading agents, Rafaela Pimenta, who also counts Erling Haaland among her stable.
The numbers compare well to those of his Norway team-mate Antonio Nusa, who made his big move to RB Leipzig last summer. All the signs point to an impressive career.
Just two words of warning for Football Manager fans, though: Cherno Samba.
Possible landing spots: Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Newcastle
Transfermarkt value: £8.3m
NICO GONZALEZ
Age: 22
Club: Porto
Country: Spain
Position: Central midfielder
Not to be confused with the Argentine wide attacker who left Fiorentina for Juventus last summer, Gonzalez – or ‘Nico’ as he is more commonly known – must sometimes feel like Michael Collins, with Pedri and Gavi as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
While Armstrong and Aldrin were the first humans on the Moon in 1969, Collins had to stay inside Apollo 11 and take it on a lonely trip around it while his fellow astronauts secured their places in history.
Nico broke through at Barcelona at the same time as Pedri and Gavi but while they are recognised as two of the world’s best midfielders, he never made the grade.
That is no reason to despair because Pedri and Gavi have set a bracingly high bar. Some players take the scenic route to the top and Nico does not turn 23 until January.
In the meantime, he has made 120 appearances for Barca, Valencia and Porto, playing as either a No10 or a deeper midfielder. StatHead data suggests that outside the top five European leagues, Nico is one of the best around, with his aerial ability a particular asset.
He would fit plenty of Premier League clubs, although you suspect his ultimate mission is to make another successful landing at Barcelona.
Possible landing spots: Fulham, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, West Ham
Transfermarkt value: £12.5m
ZENO DEBAST
Age: 21
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Country: Belgium
Position: Centre back
Sporting know their centre backs. When they signed the ‘rather shy kid’ who signed for Anderlecht before his eighth birthday, the rest of Europe sat up and took notice.
Roberto Martinez had known about Debast long before Sporting made their move. Now in charge of Portugal, Martinez was Belgium boss when he handed Debast his senior international debut at 18, against Wales in September 2022.
‘I have never seen a young player make such an impressive debut,’ said Martinez.
Portuguese football is sometimes difficult to judge. At their best, Sporting, Benfica and Porto can give anyone a game – as Manchester City found to their cost. Yet the level of the league falls off alarmingly after the big three and Braga.
But Debast looks a sure thing. Enough top judges think so – even if he might need one more step before reaching the Premier League elite.
Possible landing spots: Newcastle, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool
Transfermarkt value: £18.3m
GIANLUCA PRESTIANNI
Age: 18
Club: Benfica
Position: Attacking midfielder
Country: Argentina/Italy
Many South American teenagers have a tough start to life in Europe and now Prestianni has joined that group, though he should be able to handle the difficult times better than most.
After his former club Velez Sarsfield were beaten 1-0 in a league game by Huracan in August 2023, Prestianni – who was only 17 – and three team-mates were attacked by a group of hardcore fans.
‘They hit me twice in the face,’ Prestianni said. ‘They even told one of my team-mates “Get out of the car or I’ll shoot you twice in the legs”.’
A classic ‘enganche’ – the Argentine term for playmaker – Prestianni has found the greater speed and physicality of European football tricky. He has made only four starts and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
His time will come, though. And when it does, Premier League clubs will be at the head of the queue.
Possible landing spots: Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham, Crystal Palace
Transfermarkt value: £8.3m
GEOVANY QUENDA
Age: 17
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Country: Portugal
Position: Winger
Every year they appear. Players few had heard of in the summer, linked with some of the world’s biggest clubs a few months later thanks to an electric start to their senior career.
While some prosper, many fall by the wayside, so it pays to be cautious. There are reasons to be excited about Quenda, however.
The left-footer is a pacy, daring dribbler who can beat his full back on either side, and he also has an eye for a pass. He has thrived on the right of Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system and it is not too much of a stretch to see the pair working together again at Old Trafford.
Benfica do not miss much when it comes to young players but they lost Quenda to their Lisbon rivals when he was 13, apparently due to a misunderstanding over whether Quenda would be offered permanent residence at their academy. Sporting capitalised immediately and signed Quenda up.
Would the Premier League be too much, too soon? People thought the same when another teenage winger moved from Sporting to United in 2003. In the end, Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t do too badly.
Possible landing spots: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool
Transfermarkt value: £12.5m
GUSTAVO SA
Age: 20
Club: Famalicao
Position: Attacking midfielder
Country: Portugal
Mail Sport revealed in April that Brighton and Brentford were tracking Sa, who was then midway through his breakthrough season in senior football.
When the combined mathematical might of Tony Bloom and Matthew Benham think a player is worth the effort, then everyone else probably should, too.
Sa plays as a No 10 but his statistical profile is unusual. In terms of goals, assists and key passes, his record is steady but unremarkable. Yet in areas where attacking midfielders often struggle, Sa impresses. At 6ft 1in, he is effective in the air, as he is at winning the ball back high up the pitch. He uses his frame to hold off opponents and is a reasonably smooth ball carrier.
Sa needs to improve his goals and assists numbers to make it at a top-level club. He is already part of the Portugal Under 21 squad, however, and the big three of Benfica, Sporting and Porto, where Sa spent three years in the academy, are watching closely. With Brentford and Brighton on the case, they will have to move quickly.
Possible landing spots: Brentford, Brighton, Wolves, Nottingham Forest.
Transfermarkt value: £6.7m
OUSMANE DIOMANDE
Age: 20
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Position: Centre back
Country: Ivory Coast
What is it with Sporting and centre backs? We have already looked at the potential of Belgian star Zeno Debast and Goncalo Inacio is a few months too old to make the list.
Now in Diomande, Sporting have another central defender destined to reach the top. Diomande has the profile every modern centre back craves. He is 6ft 3in, quick, strong, athletic and at ease in possession.
He is nearly as effective in causing problems for opposition defences as he is at shutting out their attackers. His passing range is exciting, too, in the age of defenders who are expected to build from the back.
There is still some work to be done on his defensive precision, but the potential is too great to ignore.
Diomande has followed a familiar route. From Olympic Sport Abobo in his homeland to Midtjylland in Denmark and then on to Sporting, the next stop will surely be a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues. And now his old boss, Ruben Amorim, is at one of the biggest of them all.
Possible landing spots: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal
Transfermarkt value: £33.3m
ROGER FERNANDES
Age: 18
Club: Braga
Position: Winger
Country: Guinea-Bissau
Nicknamed ‘Dybala’ by childhood friends after the Roma and Argentina attacker Paulo, Fernandes – known more commonly as ‘Roger’ is a flying winger in a hurry.
He made his debut for Braga aged 15 under Carlos Carvalhal, the former Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday boss, and quickly developed into one of the most exciting players in Portugal.
In metrics produced by StatHead, Roger tracks well against Porto star Galeno, who is considered one of the best attackers in the country and has been wanted by Juventus and Nottingham Forest. Galeno is nearly 10 years older and has far more high-level experience.
It is sometimes difficult for top talent to break through outside Portugal’s big three but this looks like being no problem for Roger, who has three cousins who also played professional football. There is no doubt who is the best of the quartet.
‘He always watched Braga games to study them,’ said Carvalhal. ‘He didn’t watch big clubs like Liverpool or Barcelona.’ Before too long, he will play for one of them.
Possible landing spots: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Bournemouth
Transfermarkt value: £8.3m
ANTONIO SILVA
Age: 21
Club: Benfica
Position: Centre back
Country: Portugal
Production continues apace at the Portuguese centre-back factory. No sooner had Pepe finally left the stage at the age of 41 than his would-be heirs were jockeying for position.
Pepe was a controversial character but had an outstanding career at club and international level. Silva is also a feisty personality and has the credentials to achieve the same, having already racked up 17 Portugal caps and only just turned 21.
Silva is excellent on the ball and strong in the tackle. Solid enough in the air and impressive in one-on-ones. A glance at his heatmaps show a telling red splodge just inside the opposition half, indicating a defender comfortable playing in a high line.
He has not been an automatic pick for Benfica this season but that says more about the quality of manager Bruno Lage’s options than it does about Silva. Juventus have an eye on him for January. They will not be the only ones.
Possible landing spots: Manchester United, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Newcastle
Transfermarkt value: £33.5m
MARTIM FERNANDES
Age: 18
Club: Porto
Position: Right back
Country: Portugal
Now here is a prospect. A flying right-back who is part of the excellent Portugal generation who reached the last four of the European Under 17 Championship two years ago, Fernandes is now a key player in one of the best Porto teams of recent times.
He is not a full back who will step into midfield, as is a modern trend, but he will give his opponents on the flank no peace. Sprint after sprint, cross after cross.
He already has four assists in the league this season and it will not be long before Fernandes makes his senior international debut.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez is not the only one who will be keeping a close eye on Fernandes. You can imagine Unai Emery, with his love of attacking full backs, is already well aware of his progress.
A little bit longer in Portugal might be best for all parties but make no mistake, Fernandes is bound for the Premier League.
Possible landing spots: Aston Villa, Tottenham, Brighton
Transfermarkt value: £5m