Five Portuguese wonderkids every big club is watching

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·3 April 2025

Five Portuguese wonderkids every big club is watching

Portugal just doesn’t stop producing talent. From legendary veterans to breakout stars, the conveyor belt keeps rolling — and now there’s a new wave coming in hot. These aren’t just good players. These are the ones top clubs are already circling in notebooks and scouting reports.

Across the always-active yolo247 apk fans don’t just bet on match outcomes — they follow the future. People are already talking: who’s the next €100 million move? Who’s about to trade the Primeira Liga for La Liga or the Premier League? Let’s take a look at five Portuguese youngsters who’ve got Europe’s elite keeping tabs.

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The big five: Portugal’s next exports

These players aren’t just good for their age — they’re ahead of the curve, already making headlines and scaring the opposition:

Rodrigo Mora (Porto, attacking midfielder, born 2007): He’s 17, but he plays like he’s 27. Creativity personified, Mora has already become the centrepiece around which Porto’s offensive game is based. He looks like a kid – because he is a kid – but that’s where any notion that he is not ready for the big time ends. As shown with his brilliant winning goal against Estoril Praia on Sunday, he may be small and frail-looking in stature, but he is head and shoulders above most of his peers in the Primeira Liga in ability.

Tomás Araújo (Benfica, CB, born 2004): A ball-playing centre-back is a vital cog in today’s top teams. The Benfica youngster fits the bill with is ability to step out of the defence and put his team on the front foot thanks to his excellent passing range. Fast, positionally sound and nerves of steel, as shown in his fine debut for Portugal in Croatia recently, Araújo is has it all to become a global star.

João Simões (Sporting, central midfielder, born 2007): Thrust into Sporting’s first team in the midst of an injury crisis earlier this season, Simões acquitted himself admirably, even at the highest level in the Champions League. A tough competitor with good link-up play and maturity beyond his 18 years, the teenager is yet another gem coming out of Alcochete.

Roger Fernandes (Braga, winger, born 2005): Ever since making his senior debut as a 15-year-old, becoming Braga’s youngest ever first-team player, the Guinea-Bissau born Fernandes has been earmarked as a star of the future. Today he is the club’s most potent attacking weapon. Clocking up 80 senior appearances for Braga before turning 20 years of age is not the norm. It is unlikely he will add too many more as clubs around Europe circle around the exciting talent.

Manu Silva (Benfica, central midfielder, born 2001): A combative central midfielder, Manu Silva had an outstanding first half of 2024/25 for Vitória SC. After being converted from a centre-back, Manu completely ran games for the Guimarães-based club, as against Benfica in December, a performance so impressive it persuaded the Lisbon giants to buy him in the January transfer window. A positive start for the Eagles was cut short by a serious ACL injury. Upon his return he is sure to be closely tracked by scouts from all over the continent.

These five aren’t just talents — they’re ready to take the next step. Whether they stay in Portugal a little longer or leave soon, it’s only a matter of time before they’re making headlines elsewhere.

What Makes These Players Special?

A lot of young players have skill. These guys have more — they’ve got presence, game sense, and the mindset to grow into something huge:

They play with maturity: You don’t see panic, you see control. Even under pressure.
They adapt fast: One season they’re in youth teams, the next they’re starting Champions League games.
They’ve got personality: They don’t just play — they show up. Bold, focused, expressive. What they’re doing now would be impressive at 25. Doing it at 18? That’s rare.

The Next Big Moves?

It’s not if — it’s when. These players are on radars across Europe. Some might move this summer; others may wait a bit. But the calls are coming. And the transfer fees? It is not farfetched to believe they’ll get close to seven digits.

Portugal’s youth system keeps delivering, and these five are just the latest batch. Keep your eye on them — because your club’s sporting director definitely is.