Leonino exclusive - Rui Borges could send Sporting signing to the B team | OneFootball

Moncef Zekri could make his first minutes in a Sporting shirt with the B team, Leonino has learned. The young left-back, just 17 years old, arrived at Alvalade in the final days of August and is still going through a process of adapting to Portuguese football and, above all, managing his physical condition.

The youngster was signed after making 20 appearances in Belgium’s top division and debuting for Mechelen’s first team at just 16 years old. Despite his youth, he arrived with senior-level experience that is unusual for his age and was integrated into Rui Borges' first-team squad, with the coach seeing him as an option for both the present and the future.

However, his arrival came after a physical issue that forced Sporting to take some precautions. Rui Borges confirmed that the new signing was coming off a minor problem and explained that the Club is carrying out specific individual work with the player so that he can fully recover and reach the necessary physical level.

According to what our newspaper has learned, it is in this context that the possibility arises of the defender beginning to gain competitive rhythm with the team coached by Tiago Fernandes, which could serve as an important step in this process.

It should be remembered that Moncef Zekri signed a contract with Sporting until 2029 and was protected by an €80 million release clause. The full-back was born in Brussels, holds dual nationality (Belgian and Moroccan), and represented Morocco’s under-17 side, becoming African champion in 2025.

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