Leonino exclusive: João Muniz leaving Sporting, off abroad | OneFootball

João Muniz is on his way out of Sporting and will continue his career outside Portugal, Leonino has learned. The 21-year-old centre-back was not part of the Sporting delegation that travelled to the Algarve for the pre-season training camp, nor was he presented at the Troféu Cinco Violinos.

The player is set to bring to an end his spell with the Lions, which began in 2019/20, when he arrived at the Academy. During his time in Alvalade, he progressed through several stages of the youth system and was also loaned to Rio Ave to gain competitive experience.

Despite having taken part in several first-team training sessions over the last few seasons, he is not part of the plans for 2026/27 and will leave the Club in this transfer window. The Portuguese player is now looking for a new challenge to continue his career.

The defender was once highly rated internally and even attracted the interest of Bayer Leverkusen in January 2024. At the time, the German club submitted a €10 million offer for the player, but the SAD led by Frederico Varandas decided to keep him, believing in potential that ultimately did not materialise.

In the 2025/26 season, João Muniz - valued at €1.5 million - has been used mostly by Sporting's B team, although he has already made his debut for the first team, with six minutes in the League Cup. In the 23 matches he played in the Segunda Liga, he totalled 1,761 minutes, but without scoring or providing an assist.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.