Manchester City and Hugo Viana face Saudi Pro League threat in pursuit of Sporting’s Francisco Trincão | OneFootball

Manchester City remain linked with Sporting Lisbon winger Francisco Trincão but have yet to open direct talks with the Portuguese club for his signature, as per a new report from Portugal.

Trincão, 26, has been one of the most discussed winger targets in the Premier League this summer, with his outstanding campaign for Sporting CP – producing the best football of his career in the Portuguese top flight – attracting considerable interest from clubs across Europe ahead of the transfer window entering its more decisive phase.

Manchester City’s need for a wide attacker capable of dribbling and creating chances has been well-established throughout the summer, with director of football Hugo Viana and manager Enzo Maresca having identified the position as a priority area for reinforcement as the rebuild at the Etihad Stadium continues.

Tottenham have also featured prominently in Portuguese reporting around Trincão’s future over the past week, with both clubs repeatedly mentioned as potential Premier League destinations for the 26-year-old as speculation around his future has gathered pace.

However, the latest update from Portugal draws a clear and important distinction between speculation and genuine transfer activity – one that places the state of Manchester City’s interest in considerably less advanced territory than some earlier reports may have suggested.

Report: Al Ahli only club in direct talks as City and Spurs interest remains unconfirmed

As reported by A Bola and relayed by Sport Witness, Saudi side Al Ahli are currently the only club to have opened direct talks with Sporting over a move for Trincão, with negotiations between the two parties understood to be centred on a fee of around £38 million – a figure that sits below the Portugal international’s £50.5 million release clause but within the range that Sporting could ultimately accept.

The Portuguese newspaper acknowledges that Trincão continues to be linked with Manchester City and Tottenham, but makes clear that neither club has yet developed that interest into direct contact with Sporting at this stage of the process – leaving the Saudi route as the only live and active avenue toward a transfer at this moment in time.

That distinction carries real significance in the context of a story that has generated considerable momentum in Portugal, with A Bola’s report effectively confirming that the Premier League interest, however genuine in spirit, has not yet translated into the kind of formal approach that would give Sporting a clear picture of their options beyond the Saudi Pro League offer currently on the table.

Al Ahli’s sporting director is former Benfica director Rui Pedro Braz, whose knowledge of the Portuguese market and established connections within it are likely to have been instrumental in facilitating contact with Sporting over a player they value at a significant premium above the Saudi club’s opening proposal.

What does the lack of direct talks mean for Man City’s winger search?

The report adds an important layer of nuance to the Trincão story from Manchester City’s perspective, suggesting that Viana’s interest in the Portugal international has not yet reached the point where Sporting have been formally engaged – a reflection either of ongoing deliberation over whether Trincão fits the precise profile Maresca requires, or of the club’s preference to allow other areas of the rebuild to be resolved before committing resource to the wide attacking position.

Trincão himself is said to retain a preference for a return to the Premier League, where he believes he has “unfinished business” following a difficult loan spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in his career – a personal inclination that would favour Manchester City and Tottenham over Al Ahli if a Premier League club were to move decisively in the coming weeks.

Whether Trincão’s preference for England is enough to hold off a concrete Saudi offer while City or Tottenham accelerate their interest into formal talks with Sporting remains the central question, with the window of opportunity for a Premier League move likely to narrow considerably should Al Ahli’s negotiations with the Lisbon club reach a conclusion before either English club has made a direct approach.

For Viana and Maresca, the race for Trincão’s signature may ultimately be won or lost by the speed with which Manchester City decide to formalise their interest – and the latest report from Portugal suggests that time may be rather shorter than the level of speculation around the winger has implied.