Leonino exclusive - Zekri signed for Sporting, but nearly joined rivals | OneFootball

Sporting were not the only Portuguese club keeping an eye on Moncef Zekri. The young left-back was offered to Benfica before ultimately being turned down by the Eagles, paving the way for the young Moroccan international’s move to Alvalade, Leonino has learned.

According to what our newspaper has found out, the decision by the club in red was also influenced by the presence of José Neto, an 18-year-old youngster who plays in exactly the same position, leading Benfica to decide not to move forward with negotiations.

At 17, the player joined Sporting from Mechelen in a deal worth a fixed €3 million, with bonuses potentially added, and signed a contract initially valid until 2029, protected by an €80 million release clause.

Born in Brussels on 20 September 2008, the wide player spent practically his entire youth development in Belgium. He came through Leuven and Sint-Truiden before joining Mechelen in 2023, where he quickly began drawing attention for his precocious talent.

Sporting ultimately moved decisively for the young defender, who had already made 20 appearances for Mechelen’s first team before moving to Lisbon. The footballer, who is already registered, was part of the team that won the 2025 Under-17 AFCON and also featured at the World Cup in that age group, where Morocco reached the quarter-finals.

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