Mário Figueiredo says Sporting star must go: not fit to stay | OneFootball

The deadlock surrounding Pedro Gonçalves’ future at Sporting continues to make headlines. The Portuguese international remains linked with interest from Al Ittihad, but the deal still lacks a formal offer and the player’s future remains uncertain.

During an analysis on the Now channel, Mário Figueiredo said that the player "is not in a position to continue", given the strain caused by the process. The player’s own statements, namely the reference to having played with the "handbrake on", as well as the stances taken by Rui Borges and Frederico Varandas, were pointed to as factors that helped deteriorate the relationship between the parties.

However, there was also criticism regarding the way the process was handled by Sporting. José Manuel Freitas said it was "unbelievable what they are doing to Pote", especially because the player was made to train separately at a time when the transfer had still not been completed. "The process was badly handled from the start".

The transfer window in Portugal closes next Friday, while in Saudi Arabia it only shuts on September 6. The Sporting board remains confident that Jorge Mendes can unlock the process, but some of the main doors that had once been open are now beginning to close.

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